The Federal Government has kicked off a bold plan to recruit and train 70,000 Community-Based Health Workers (CBHWs) over the next five years.
This is a major step to fix Nigeria’s long-standing issue with poor access to basic healthcare, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
What’s the plan?
Each health worker will be assigned to about 250 households, bringing vital services straight to the doorstep — things like:
- Vaccines
- Health education
- Early disease detection
- Community support and referrals
NPHCDA is running it. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency handles training, supplies, and salary payments to states. Eight states are already in. Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Yobe, Zamfara, Bauchi, Niger, and Ebonyi. Five are actively recruiting now.
This is more than just a job drive
It’s a full upgrade of how healthcare works. The government will:
- Pay salaries (at least for a while)
- Provide digital tools and supplies
- Offer proper training
- Give clear pathways into civil service
Backed by the AU and UNICEF
This plan is part of a bigger African Union goal to deploy 2 million community health workers across Africa by 2030. Nigeria is leading that charge. And the benefits go beyond health: it’s also about job creation, especially for women and young people.
Leave a Reply