FEC grants Ministry of Health authority to approve recruitment for hospitals

Due to the evident shortage of healthcare professionals in Nigerian public hospitals and the bureaucratic hurdles hindering staff recruitment, the Nigerian government has granted authorization to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. This empowerment enables the ministry to approve recruitment requests from qualifying health institutions.

The decision, reached during a session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), aims to streamline the hiring process for healthcare workers and mitigate delays. Ali Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, conveyed during the FEC meeting on Wednesday that the lengthy replacement of departing health workers is primarily attributed to the multiple stages involved in the waiver process.

According to reports from Vanguard Newspaper, Mr. Pate elaborated that President Bola Tinubu directed the council to delegate the approval of these waivers to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, eliminating the need for involvement from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. This directive is expected to expedite the recruitment of health workers, addressing the issue of unemployed individuals within the constraints of fiscal resources.

It is noteworthy that in June 2023, President Bola Tinubu dissolved the boards of all federal government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies as part of his administration’s initiatives.