The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has urged participants of the National Health Fellows Programme to promote continuity, innovation, and sustainability in the ongoing transformation of the state’s healthcare sector.
The Governor delivered the charge at the graduation ceremony of Cohort 1.0 and the onboarding of Cohort 2.0 of the programme, held at Crispan Hotel in Jos.
The event attracted major stakeholders in the health sector, senior government officials, and development partners committed to strengthening primary healthcare services across Plateau State.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Ngo Josephine Chundung Piyo, Governor Mutfwang described the young health professionals as catalysts of a new phase of healthcare reform in the state. He noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s National Health Sector Renewal Initiative and the Primary Health Care Transformation Agenda, positioning Plateau as an active contributor to nationwide health reforms.
He emphasized that the fellows would play central roles within the state’s health planning and governance framework across all 17 Local Government Areas. According to him, their engagement is essential not only to implementing reforms but also to ensuring their long-term sustainability.
Governor Mutfwang encouraged the graduating fellows to serve with courage, compassion, and dedication, describing them as torchbearers who will help transform health facilities into centres of hope and healing for citizens throughout the state.
He reaffirmed his administration’s steadfast commitment to revitalizing primary healthcare, strengthening institutional systems, and empowering young professionals to build a resilient, inclusive, and people-focused health system.
In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Pokop Bupwatda, explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the National Health Fellowship Programme in 2024 to improve healthcare access and quality nationwide.
Dr. Bupwatda revealed that approximately 774 young professionals drawn from Local Government Areas across the country, spanning the first and second cohorts, are being equipped with the skills to strengthen governance, enhance data management, and drive innovative, community-based improvements within Nigeria’s health sector.
Earlier, the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, called on the graduands to fully embrace the vision of the fellowship and serve as agents of measurable and sustainable improvements in health service delivery.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Technical Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Health, Ashiru Abubakar; the representative of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Nanbol Listick; and representatives of the Gbong Gwom Jos and the Agwom Izere, alongside other dignitaries.
The ceremony culminated in the formal presentation of certificates to members of Cohort 1.0 and the official onboarding of Cohort 2.0 by the Governor.
