FG Recruits 2,500 Health Personnel To Plug Manpower Deficit

In a bid to address the increasing shortage of frontline health workers across the health sector in Nigeria, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has recruited over 2,500 health professionals.

Those recruited include doctors, nurses, midwives, and Community Health Extension Workers.

This development was announced in a statement by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, and shared on his official X handle on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

According to the statement, the government renewed its dedication to tackling the urgent requirement for a strengthened and well-prepared health workforce to cater to the needs of Nigeria’s swiftly expanding population.

The statement read in part, “H.E. President Bola Tinubu’s administration fully recognizes the urgent need to upgrade the quantity and quality of health workers nationwide to meet the evolving needs of our fast-growing population.

“This has informed our aggressive health workforce development drive. At present, we have recruited well over 2,500 doctors, nurses, midwives, and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) to address frontline health worker attrition.

“By partnering with the Global Fund and other development partners, we are making significant advances on the implementation of the retraining of 120,000 frontline workers by 2027, deploying digital platforms, and supporting state and local governments with financial incentives to recruit high-skilled health professionals.

“At a time when the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has granted waivers for the recruitment of nearly 4,000 health personnel into Federal Tertiary Hospitals #MDCNOfficial, over the past 12 months, to bolster service delivery and quality, I am delighted to share further detail on our efforts with you in this briefing from my desk.”