Abuja, March 3, 2020 - In renewed efforts to strengthen health workforce towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) has successfully launched the 2018 Nigeria Health Workforce Country Profile and officially handed over of the Nigeria Health Workforce Registry. Support for the launch, was made possible with funding from the Government of Canada through the Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Prior to the launch, health sector planning was done based on the outdated 2012 health workforce country profile. The 2018 Nigeria’s Health Workforce Country Profile was therefore updated and validated by the regulatory bodies in August 2019. 

The Nigeria Health Workforce Registry serves as a database for accurate and timely evidence-based health workforce information and it links health workers to administrative units and health facilities. The establishment of the Registry demonstrates Nigeria’s significant progress in achieving the Global Strategy for Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 milestone of every country having a registry to track health workforce dynamics and sharing Human Resources for Health data annually through the National Health Workforce Accounts.

Speaking at the launch, Nigeria’s Minster of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said, “This effort is part of the nation’s response to WHO’s call to all nations of the world to strive towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals through the implementation of the Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health (GSHRH) 2030.”

According to the Minister, FMoH with support from WHO, has developed the Nigeria Health Workforce Profile (NHWP) 2018 and the National Health Workforce Registry (NHWR) platform. Currently, data from ten States across Nigeria have been uploaded into the Registry platform which was handed over on the 03 March, 2020. It is expected that data from all the 36 States and FCT will be added to make it a complete National Health Workforce Registry.” He added 
At the occasion, the HMH, Dr Ehanire appreciated WHO for the support demonstrated in strengthening health workforce planning and management especially in the updating of the country’s HRH profile. 

The profile demonstrates Nigeria’s significant progress in achieving the Global Strategy for Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030 milestone which requires every country to track health workforce dynamics and share human resource for health (HRH) data needed for planning towards achieving UHC. Achievement of UHC in Nigeria is largely dependent on adequate and equitable supply of the needed health workforce to improve access of Nigerians to integrated people-centered quality health services.

At the launch, the  Officer in Charge (OiC) of WHO in Nigeria, Dr. Peter Clement Lasuba, stated that “We can only improve the health indices in Nigeria by ensuring that the health workforce is accessible, qualified, well-trained, motivated, skilled and equitably distributed. To achieve this, we need strategic health workforce information.”

WHO with funding from the Government of Canada developed the prototype of the National Health Workforce Registry using the iHRIS Manage framework which is being used in several countries globally. WHO also supported the roll out of the registry in Bauchi and Cross River States with funding from the Government of Canada through the Global Affairs Canada; Anambra and Sokoto States with funding from the European Union; Borno, Adamawa, Abia, Osun, Niger and Edo with funding from the Government of Japan and WHO.” “To sustain the functionality of the National Health Workforce Registry, WHO coordinated the development of the Handbook on the National Health Workforce Registry,” which was also launched at the event

He finally reaffirmed WHO’s commitment for continued partnership with the FMoH in strengthening Human Resource for Health management and planning.

Technical Contact:

Dr Okoroafor Sunny; Email: okoroafors [at] who.int (okoroafors[at]who[dot]int); Tel: +234 813 173 6273