Health Fellows Still Jobless One Year After Presidential ‘You Are Hired’ Pledge
One year after President Tinubu’s “You are hired” promise, all 774 members of Cohort 1 in the National Health Fellows Programme remain unemployed. Many declined other offers to meet the full-time fellowship requirement, expecting permanent roles afterwards. Launched in March 2025 under the Federal Ministry of Health as part of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the 12-month scheme placed a graduate in each local government area to strengthen primary healthcare. Fellows received stipends but no clear guarantee of absorption at the end. The Federal Civil Service Commission has not introduced any policy to integrate these graduates into permanent civil service positions. The ministry has also yet to confirm any nationwide hiring plans. Participants and observers are calling on the FCSC and the health ministry to act swiftly on the presidential assurance. They warn that failing to fulfil the promise could undermine confidence in future public sector programmes.
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