Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, Kwara State Commissioner for Health, has called on the 16 newly inaugurated National Health Fellows (NHF) to demonstrate proactiveness and dedication in improving healthcare delivery across their assigned local government areas.

The charge was delivered during the fellows' formal introduction to the Commissioner and health sector stakeholders on Tuesday at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Ilorin.

In her address, Dr. El-Imam stressed the critical role of collaboration and innovative thinking in strengthening the healthcare system. She praised Kwara's growing cohort of health professionals, expressing confidence in their ability to drive progress. “We urge you to build on existing efforts. Kwara is fortunate to have a vibrant pool of emerging experts poised to elevate our health sector,” she stated.

Dr. El-Imam underscored the necessity for cross-fertilization of ideas, leveraging the training and youthful knowledge of the fellows. She noted that “Kwara is an ambitious State, with some of the best indices compared to our fellow states.”

She encouraged adherence to the terms of reference of the programme and assured that hard work would be duly recognized. “Kwara rewards hard work, and there will be recognition for the best health fellow,” she affirmed.

Dr. El-Imam also expressed hope that the fellows would contribute to improving healthcare at the Local Government Areas (LGAs), emphasizing the merit-based selection process, while urging the fellows to strive for exceptional performance. “This selection was completely merit-based; you owe yourself better performance. Be the exception in a world with norms,” she encouraged.

Highlighting the pivotal role of the younger generation in shaping Nigeria's healthcare future, she stated, “you are the future of Nigeria, you should give us the best to make the system better than what we met.”

While appreciating the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate for the initiative and funding of the National Health Fellow Programme, the Commissioner commended the President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu for approving the automatic employment for the fellows immediately after the programme.

In addition, the Desk Officer for Sector Wide Approach (SWAP), Dr. Ola Ahmed, admonished the 16 fellows representing each local government in the State to be proactive in the discharge of their duties.

He noted that the inauguration of the National Health Fellows aligns with Kwara State's ongoing efforts to strengthen its health care sector. According to him, each fellow is expected to track medical relief programme commodities, perform independent data verification and augment the functions of the State SWAP desk officers, among others.

Stakeholders present at the meeting included the State Coordinators of the World Health Organization, Dr. Emmanuel Eyitayo and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Mr Bolaji Adebayo, among others.