By Rebecca Maina
The Gombe State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Nigeria Initiative and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has graduated the first cohort and officially onboarded the second cohort of the National Health Fellows Programme, reaffirming the state’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare through youth-led innovation and leadership.
The ceremony brought together health sector stakeholders, traditional rulers, development partners and government officials to celebrate the achievements of the graduating fellows and welcome a new set of participants into the one-year fellowship programme.
A total of eleven fellows, representing each of Gombe State’s eleven local government areas, successfully completed the first cohort after undergoing a rigorous selection process and an intensive one-year capacity-building programme focused on strengthening Nigeria’s health system.
Representing the Commissioner for Health, Professor Danladi Bojude, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Engineer Idris Buba Yanbiyu, congratulated the graduating fellows and challenged them to put the knowledge, leadership skills and practical experience gained during the fellowship into improving healthcare delivery across their respective communities.
“The knowledge and experience you have acquired should be translated into practical solutions that strengthen healthcare services and improve health outcomes for the people of Gombe State,” he said.
In an address,the Gombe State SWAp Coordinator and Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Suraj Abdulkarim, spoke on the theme, “Primary Healthcare Reforms through Youth-Led Innovation and Sector-Wide Coordination.” He stressed the importance of empowering young professionals to champion sustainable reforms and support the transformation of the state’s primary healthcare system.
“Young professionals have a critical role to play in driving innovation, improving accountability and sustaining ongoing reforms in the health sector,” Dr. Abdulkarim stated.
In separate goodwill messages, the District Head of Gaddawo, Alhaji Mohammed Atiku, alongside representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and other development partners, commended the graduating fellows for their dedication throughout the fellowship.
They urged the graduates to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to strengthen health service delivery at the grassroots, while encouraging the newly inducted Cohort Two fellows to remain committed, disciplined and focused throughout the one-year programme.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating fellows, Christiana Umar Micah and Misal Ismail Danladi expressed appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Gombe State Ministry of Health and development partners for the opportunity to participate in the fellowship.
They noted that the programme had expanded their understanding of Nigeria’s health system, provided practical field experience and equipped them with valuable leadership and technical skills to support ongoing primary healthcare reforms
“This fellowship has strengthened our capacity to contribute meaningfully to healthcare delivery and the ongoing reforms aimed at improving primary healthcare services,” they said.
The event concluded with the presentation of awards and certificates to the graduating fellows, officially marking the successful completion of Cohort One and the commencement of Cohort Two of the National Health Fellows Programme in Gombe State.