The Federal Government on Monday said the newly approved Health Workforce Migration Policy has become central to ongoing reforms aimed at stabilizing Nigeria’s health system.
Ms Kachallom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, stated this at the opening of the Technical Session of the 66th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Health (NCH) in Calabar.
Daju said the migration policy was developed to manage the outflow, retention and equitable distribution of health workers nationwide.
She added that the policy forms part of the ministry’s broader strategy to strengthen institutional coordination, improve accountability and expand access to quality healthcare across the country.
According to her, the ministry is consolidating reforms in primary healthcare, supply chain management and human resources for health as part of efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“The theme of this year’s Council, ‘My Health, My Right: Accelerating Universal Health Coverage through Equity, Resilience and Innovation’, challenges us to put the Nigerian citizen at the centre of every decision,” she said.
Daju described the technical session as the “engine room” of the NCH, where evidence is reviewed and recommendations crafted to guide the council’s final resolutions.
She urged members of the technical committee to ensure that all recommendations were practical, cost-effective and aligned with the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint 2023–2027.
The permanent secretary commended the Cross River Government for hosting the meeting and appreciated development partners and technical teams supporting the NCH Secretariat.
It was reported that the National Council on Health was inaugurated in 1961 following the creation of the Federal Ministry of Health in 1950.
The council was established to strengthen consultation and coordination between the federal authority and the then regional governments.
With health designated as a concurrent responsibility under the Nigerian Constitution, the NCH evolved into the unified national forum for shaping health policy and ensuring coherent implementation across all states.
Its first meeting in 1961 deliberated on a World Health Organization proposal on malaria eradication.
In 1962, a technical committee comprising permanent secretaries and senior health professionals was established to provide expert advice and inputs to guide the council’s decisions.
Today, the NCH remains Nigeria’s highest decision-making body on health, bringing together federal and state leaders annually to harmonize reforms, assess sector performance and set national priorities.
