Resource Type: Report
Authors: Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria, Health Systems 20/20 Project
Published: 9/1/2012

Resource Description:

Over several years, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Health has been making concerted efforts at ensuring that Nigerians and all those living within the shores of the country enjoy good health by having easy access to health facilities that are equipped with the most advanced tools for work.

Without a doubt, it is the quality, competence and adaptability of the health workforce deployed to these facilities that would make the difference if this goal is to be realized. This knowledge of the vital role the health workforce must play led to a new thinking that culminated in the Ministry developing a comprehensive National Human Resources for Health Policy in consultation with our development partners and key stakeholders. The Policy was approved by the National Council of Health in January 2007 and since then The National Human Resources for Health Strategic Plan has been drawn up as a follow up to the Policy.

The strategies and activities in the Plan provide a framework to guide and direct interventions, investments and decision making in the planning, development and management of human resources for health at the Federal, State, Local Government and institutional levels. One major focus of this HRH Strategic Plan is to strengthen the capacity and capability of our health workforce via well designed training programmes.

This document is the outcome of such a focus on the foundation training programme in Nigeria for medical doctors and dentists whose professions for good reason are highly regulated. Historically, the different curricula used by medical schools in the country evolved largely from the British programmes. A few institutions have adopted and adapted certain aspects from North America and Central Europe.