I was delighted to join and provide a goodwill keynote message at the Nigeria Launch of the Global Health Workforce Programme in Abuja yesterday, alongside the Wellbeing Foundation Africa Team, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria, in partnership with The Tropical Health and Education Trust – THET, and Ducit Blue Solutions.

With the announcement of 33 Health Partnerships as successful grantees of the Global Health Workforce Programme across Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, the Global Health Workforce Programme will develop the health workforce, supporting them to build more resilient health systems for post-pandemic recovery and to make progress towards universal health coverage.

In addressing critical health partners, stakeholders, and the 10 successful grant partnerships from Nigeria, including the Wellbeing Foundation Africa and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine – LSTM Partnership, I emphasised the importance of fostering local ownership and sustainability, as each partnership will advance programmatic outcomes, such as enhancing health workforce leadership capacity in alignment with strategic health workforce initiatives, advocating for a reduction in gender disparities, and improving both the quantity and quality of training opportunities for healthcare professionals.

Highly skilled, resilient staff are the backbone of a strong health service, and the grants launched today will vastly impact the performance of health systems in Nigeria, having a knock-on effect on boosting global pandemic preparedness and reducing health inequalities globally, as over one billion people have no access to qualified health workers.

The Launch was also marked by Goodwill Messages from the Representatives of the Hon. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by Dr Chris Isokponu, Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, British High Commissioner H.E. Richard Montgomery, represented by Dr Ebere Anyachukwu, Health Adviser, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office Nigeria, and Country Director WHO Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulumbo, and Head, Health Systems Strengthening, Dr Nwakaego Chukwukaodinaka, respectively.

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