Nigeria Commits to Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter

During the 2nd Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum from May 6-8, 2026, in Ghana, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, declared Nigeria's commitment to implementing the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter.

He highlighted the critical need for investment in health workforce development to address financial gaps that hinder achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Despite an increase in Africa's health worker density from 11 per 10,000 in 2013 to a projected 27 by 2024, a shortfall of 6.1 million health workers is anticipated by 2030.

Salako revealed that in August 2024, the Federal Government of Nigeria approved a national policy on health workforce migration, which includes ethical recruitment and bilateral agreements to manage health worker migration. The government aims to invest $900 million in health systems from 2024 to 2026, focusing on rebuilding primary health care infrastructure and expanding training capacity.