Nigeria to recruit 100,000 community health workers by 2028

...As Africa's plans recruitment of 2m frontline health workers by 2030

By David Comix

Nigeria has committed to recruiting 100,000 salaried community health workers by 2028 as African leaders launch an ambitious continental plan to employ two million frontline health workers across 51 countries by 2030, in a major push to expand access to primary healthcare.

The commitment was announced in Abuja on Friday at the launch of the Community Health Programme Continental Acceleration Plan 2026–2030, formally inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The plan seeks to address Africa's shortage of frontline health personnel, strengthen primary healthcare systems and improve access to essential health services, particularly in underserved communities.

Speaking at the event, Shettima said community health workers were indispensable to achieving universal health coverage, citing their roles in identifying maternal health risks, reaching unvaccinated children, collecting household health data and detecting disease outbreaks.

He called for their legal recognition, regular remuneration, adequate support and equitable deployment, stressing that primary healthcare could not be sustained without a properly supported community workforce.

Shettima disclosed that Nigeria would require an estimated 315,000 community health workers by 2030, adding that the Federal Government was working to bridge the shortfall through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

Under the initiative, the government plans to revitalise more than 17,000 primary healthcare centres, train 120,000 frontline health workers and employ 100,000 salaried community health workers by the end of 2028.

He also called on African governments to reduce their dependence on external funding for community health programmes by strengthening domestic financing, adopting nationally owned implementation plans and providing dedicated budgetary allocations.

Providing a continental perspective, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, said the two-million-worker target builds on an African Union commitment made in 2017, which has so far been achieved by just over half.

The agency estimated that Africa would require $4.3 billion annually to meet the target, projecting that every dollar invested could generate up to $19 in economic and social benefits.

It identified Nigeria's commitment to employing 100,000 salaried community health workers as an important contribution to the continental ambition.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, commended President Tinubu for approving Nigeria's hosting of the high-level forum, describing the initiative as significant to strengthening community health systems and advancing primary healthcare delivery across Africa.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and expanding the community health workforce under the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

In her remarks, Kachollom acknowledged the contributions of the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, development partners and other stakeholders, stressing that sustained investment, effective partnerships and coordinated implementation would be critical to translating the plan's ambitions into improved health outcomes.

Tinubu serves as the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.