The Federal Government has urged applicants for the second cohort of the National Health Fellows Programme to complete their registrations ahead of the November 30, 2025, deadline.

The NHF Programme is a government initiative aimed at strengthening primary healthcare delivery and expanding the capacity of the national health workforce.

According to information on its website, the programme is domiciled in the Sector Wide Approach Coordination Office under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

The fellows will be recruited, remunerated, and equipped with appropriate tools to drive positive change in the health sector.

The programme was created to address gaps in community-level healthcare by recruiting, training, and deploying young professionals to serve in all 774 local government areas of the country.

According to a statement made available on Wednesday, the first cohort, admitted in January 2025, successfully underwent training and has since been deployed nationwide, supporting community health interventions, surveillance activities, and primary healthcare strengthening at the grassroots.

The statement noted that applications for the second cohort are open to Nigerians between the ages of 25 and 35 who hold degrees in health sciences, information technology, social sciences, or other related fields.

The statement said, “Candidates must demonstrate the capacity and willingness to serve in community environments and contribute to public health improvement.

“The selection process is merit-based and transparent, involving application screening, competency review, and interview assessments. Only candidates who meet the required standards are admitted into the fellowship.

“Fellows admitted into the programme receive structured training covering public health principles, community engagement, disease prevention, leadership, and data reporting.”

It said this is followed by a supervised field placement designed to expose fellows to practical work in primary healthcare settings, adding that the training and deployment model is intended to build young professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to address Nigeria’s persistent health challenges.

According to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, the fellowship “is designed to develop a new generation of healthcare leaders through capacity building, practical field engagement, and sustained professional development.”

He noted that the success of the first cohort reflected the potential of young Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to national development when given structured opportunities to serve.

The government emphasised that admission into the programme would remain strictly merit-based.

“Interested candidates are encouraged to complete their applications ahead of the deadline of November 30, 2025,” the statement added.

It advised applicants to visit the official information channels of the National Health Fellows Programme for further details. (The PUNCH)