Tinubu to National Health Fellows: Serve Nigeria with Integrity and Courage
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday charged young participants of the Federal Government’s National Health Fellowship Programme to discharge their duties with honour, humility and courage, assuring them of sustained support to strengthen their career prospects.
The President gave the charge in Abuja during the maiden National Traditional and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, where he described the Fellows as a critical force in driving the Renewed National Health Alliance.
The National Health Fellows, drawn from each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, are part of the programme spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to enhance healthcare delivery nationwide. The newly inaugurated group represents the second cohort of the initiative.
Addressing the Fellows, Tinubu expressed confidence in the capacity of young Nigerians to transform the health sector, stating that the government is working through federal structures and development partners to secure clear career pathways for them. He also commended the Health Ministry and state governments for sustaining the programme’s vision and encouraged states to host befitting graduation ceremonies for the Fellows upon completion of their service.
The President urged the young health professionals to collaborate closely with traditional and religious leaders to ensure efficient service delivery at the grassroots, describing them as the “operational backbone” of a national health transformation effort. He tasked them with strengthening systems, improving data-driven decision-making and bringing renewed hope to communities.
Tinubu also called on traditional and religious leaders to support government efforts toward achieving universal health coverage, stressing that hope and unity remain central to his administration’s reform agenda. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to tackling insecurity and expressed optimism that the country would ultimately prevail.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Ali Pate, thanked the President for his leadership and presented the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report at the summit. He noted that Christian and Muslim leaders were actively engaged in discussions to strengthen community healthcare coverage.
Among prominent traditional rulers at the event were the Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and the James Ortese Ayatsev, alongside other royal fathers from across the six geopolitical zones.
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, and a representative of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Razaq Oladejo, pledged to champion community healthcare initiatives within their respective constituencies.
The statement was issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
