Nigeria has hosted the launch of a continental health initiative aimed at recruiting two million community health workers across Africa by 2030 as part of efforts to expand access to primary healthcare and strengthen health delivery systems.
The Community Health Programme Continental Acceleration Plan 2026–2030, launched in Abuja on Friday, brings together 51 African countries and more than 30 development partners to accelerate the recruitment and deployment of community health workers across the continent.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, formally inaugurated the programme. Tinubu also serves as the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.
Speaking at the event, Shettima described community health workers as essential to achieving universal health coverage, particularly in identifying maternal health risks, reaching unvaccinated children, collecting household health information and detecting disease outbreaks.
He called on African governments to ensure legal recognition, regular remuneration, adequate support and equitable deployment of community health workers, stressing that effective primary healthcare delivery depended on a well-supported workforce.
The Vice-President disclosed that Nigeria would require approximately 315,000 community health workers by 2030, noting that the Federal Government was taking steps to address the manpower gap through ongoing health sector reforms.
He said the government’s plans included revitalising more than 17,000 primary healthcare centres, training 120,000 frontline health workers and employing 100,000 salaried community health workers by the end of 2028.
Shettima also urged African countries to increase domestic funding for community health programmes rather than depend heavily on external financial assistance.
He emphasised the need for country-specific implementation plans, dedicated budgetary allocations and effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure that commitments under the continental initiative produced measurable results.
Providing an overview of the programme’s continental targets, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the two-million-worker target builds on a 2017 African Union commitment, which has so far been achieved by slightly more than half.
The agency estimated that Africa would require $4.3bn annually to meet the target, adding that every dollar invested in community health programmes could generate up to $19 in economic and social benefits.
It identified Nigeria’s plan to recruit 100,000 salaried community health workers as a significant contribution towards achieving the continental objective.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, commended Tinubu for approving Nigeria’s hosting of the high-level continental meeting.
Salako described the initiative as an important step towards strengthening community health systems and improving primary healthcare delivery across Africa.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S., reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding primary healthcare services and strengthening the community health workforce.
Kachollom said the ministry would continue to pursue these objectives in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
In her vote of thanks, the permanent secretary acknowledged Tinubu’s leadership as the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.
She also recognised the contributions of the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, development partners and other stakeholders, stressing that sustained investment, strong partnerships and coordinated implementation would be necessary to achieve the programme’s objectives and improve health outcomes across the continent.
