By Murtala Muhammad
Applicants of the National Health Fellows (NHF) programme 2.0 in Bauchi State have pledged that if given the opportunity to serve, they will put in their best towards changing the negative health indicators in their various communities.
They made the pledge while interacting with Radio Nigeria’s correspondent Murtala Muhammad shortly after participating in the ongoing Physical Interview Session for candidates from the twenty local government areas of the state, held at the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre in Bauchi.
The NHF programme is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare being executed by the SWAP Coordinating Office, aimed at building a new generation of health professionals equipped with leadership, policy, and implementation skills to improve healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
One of the applicants, Bashir Inuwa Ahmad from Toro local government who described the interview session as an eye opener, said if employed to serve as a National Health Fellow, he would dedicate his time and experience to strengthen the existing health system, disease surveillance and public enlightenment.
Another applicant Shamsiyya Ahmed Masu from Ganjuwa local council said she was optimistic that awareness creation and sensitisation would help in changing the attitude of community members to embrace good health practices.
On his part, Hamza Abdulkadir from Misau LGA said in view of communities’ perception as regards to their health, leveraging public awareness strategy was key in educating them on emerging diseases.
Speaking, one of the panelists who is also the SWAP Consultant with the Bauchi State Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ibrahim Muhammad noted that the NHF programme, started last year, and is now in its second phase, which is NHF Cohort 2.0.
He advised the applicants to continue to contribute meaningfully to the development of their respective communities, emphasising that National Health Fellows programme should not be used as a measurement to quantify their contribution to the society.
According to him, sixty applicants were shortlisted for the interview to compete in the twenty available slots across the local government areas, with specific focus on four thematic areas of leadership, motivation, teamwork and ethics.
Another Panelist and representative of traditional institutions and Marafan Bauchi, Alhaji Abdullahi Yakubu Marafa, expressed satisfaction with the general conduct of the interviewees, calling on them to keep hope alive as no success could be achieved without challenges.
The exercise which commenced nationwide on Monday 12th, according to a statement by the programme, will culminate on 16th January, 2026.
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