The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigeria requires about 315,000 community health workers by 2030 to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and improve access to essential medical services across the country.

The government said it was targeting the recruitment of 100,000 salaried community health workers by the end of 2028 as part of efforts to bridge the country’s healthcare manpower gap.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at the launch of the Community Health Programme Continental Acceleration Plan 2026–2030.

The continental initiative brings together 51 African countries and more than 30 development partners to accelerate the recruitment of two million community health workers across the continent by 2030.

Shettima described community health workers as critical to improving healthcare delivery, particularly at the grassroots, where they play important roles in identifying maternal health risks, reaching unvaccinated children, gathering household health information and detecting disease outbreaks.

He stressed that community health workers must enjoy legal recognition, regular remuneration, adequate institutional support and equitable deployment to enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

According to him, the Federal Government is pursuing the recruitment target under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which also provides for the revitalisation of more than 17,000 primary healthcare centres and the training of 120,000 frontline health workers.

The Vice President urged African countries to strengthen domestic financing for community health programmes, warning that excessive dependence on external funding could undermine the sustainability of the initiative.

He called for nationally owned implementation plans, dedicated budgetary provisions and effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure that commitments translate into tangible improvements in healthcare delivery.

Providing a continental perspective, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, said the target of employing two million community health workers across Africa builds on a 2017 African Union commitment, which has so far recorded just over 50 per cent implementation.

The agency estimated that Africa would require $4.3 billion annually to achieve the target, noting that every dollar invested in community health programmes could generate up to $19 in economic and social benefits.

It identified Nigeria’s commitment to recruiting 100,000 salaried community health workers as a significant contribution towards achieving the continental target.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq 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.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding the community health workforce in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

Kachollom acknowledged 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 essential to achieving the programme’s objectives.