The Federal Government has launched Africa’s Community Health Programme Continental Acceleration Plan 2026–2030, an initiative targeting the recruitment and deployment of two million community health workers across 51 African countries by 2030.
The programme, which brings together more than 30 partners, is designed to strengthen primary healthcare delivery, expand access to essential health services and build resilient community health systems across the continent.
The plan was formally launched on Friday in Abuja by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the high-level event.
Tinubu serves as the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.
Speaking at the launch, Shettima described community health workers as indispensable to achieving universal health coverage, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
He noted that they play critical roles in identifying maternal health risks, reaching unvaccinated children, gathering household health data and detecting disease outbreaks.
The Vice President stressed the need for legal recognition, reliable remuneration, adequate support and equitable deployment of community health workers.
He said, “The sustainability of primary healthcare depends on a properly supported community workforce.”
Shettima disclosed that Nigeria requires an estimated 315,000 community health workers by 2030 to meet its healthcare needs.
He explained that the Federal Government was addressing the workforce gap through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which includes plans to revitalise more than 17,000 primary healthcare centres, train 120,000 frontline health workers and employ 100,000 salaried community health workers by the end of 2028.
He also called on African governments to strengthen domestic financing for community health programmes, noting that continued dependence on external funding could threaten the sustainability of healthcare interventions.
According to him, countries must develop nationally owned implementation plans, establish dedicated budgetary provisions and introduce effective monitoring frameworks to ensure that commitments translate into measurable results.
Providing a continental perspective, 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 just over half.
The agency estimated that Africa requires approximately $4.3 billion annually to achieve the target, adding that every $1 invested in community health could generate up to $19 in economic and social benefits.
It further highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to employing 100,000 salaried community health workers as a significant contribution towards achieving the continental target.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, commended President Tinubu for approving Nigeria’s hosting of the high-level forum.
Salako described the initiative as an important step towards strengthening community health systems and advancing primary healthcare delivery across Africa.
Similarly, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom S., reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and expanding the community health workforce.
He said the commitment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
In her vote of thanks, Kachollom acknowledged the leadership of President Tinubu as 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, effective partnerships and coordinated implementation would be critical to translating the plan’s ambitions into improved health outcomes.
The initiative is expected to strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots, improve access to essential medical services and support African countries in addressing critical shortages in their community health workforce by 2030.