BY JUMAI NWACHUKWU
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, has charged officials of the National Health Fellows Programme (NHFP) to uphold fairness, transparency and merit in the selection of candidates, as interviews for the second cohort of the programme commence across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The charge was delivered during the Delta State interview session of the NHFP, held at the Conference Room of the Chike Edozien Secretariat, Asaba.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner, the State SWAp Desk Officer, Dr Samuel Oyawiri, disclosed that over 100,000 applications were received across the 25 local government areas of the state. He explained that three candidates were shortlisted from each local government, out of which only one fellow would eventually be selected per council at the end of the interview process.
Dr Onojaeme noted that the programme is not designed to recruit finished experts, but to identify young professionals with strong potential for growth, service and leadership in the health sector. He said assessors are expected to focus on candidates’ capacity, teachability, patience and willingness to learn, rather than their current level of expertise.
He expressed confidence that the successful fellows would be able to identify health challenges within their communities, develop practical and innovative solutions, and implement impactful projects that would strengthen healthcare delivery and improve the wellbeing of residents across Delta State.
The Commissioner also commended the Federal Government, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other development partners for their sustained support and consistent capacity-building efforts in the health sector.
Earlier, the State Coordinator and Head of the WHO Field Office in Delta State, Dr Ibrahim Salisu, explained that the NHFP is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health, Professor Muhammad Pate, implemented in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Health.
Dr Salisu said the programme targets young and emerging public health professionals aged between 25 and 35 years, drawn from all 774 local government areas in Nigeria. According to him, one fellow is selected from each local government, with Delta State expected to produce 25 successful candidates, in line with its 25 local government areas.
He added that the selected fellows would undergo an orientation programme in Abuja before being deployed to their local governments of origin, where they would spend one year supporting health services and community wellbeing initiatives.
Describing the exercise as the second cohort of the programme, Dr Salisu recalled that the first batch of fellows, selected in 2024, served throughout 2025 and made notable contributions to improving health outcomes and strengthening community health systems in their respective local governments.
He stressed that the selection process is strictly merit-based and highly competitive, with candidates assessed on experience, competence, innovation and their ability to drive the health agenda at the grassroots. He disclosed that the state selection committee comprises representatives of the Ministry of Health, the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Traditional Council and academia.
Dr Salisu further explained that the NHFP adopts a deliberately multidisciplinary approach, recognising that effective health interventions require inputs from diverse fields. As a result, candidates include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, educationists and social scientists.
While noting that the programme does not guarantee automatic employment, he said it significantly enhances participants’ skills and capacity, positioning them for future opportunities. He added that WHO is providing technical support to both the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Delta State Ministry of Health, in line with the Coordinating Minister’s directive for WHO state coordinators to chair selection committees nationwide to ensure credibility and transparency.
One of the candidates, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the interview process as transparent and well-organised, noting that members of the interview panel were professional and welcoming.
