FG Urges Doctors to Embrace Leadership, Entrepreneurship for Stronger Health System

The Federal Government has called on doctors in Nigeria to embrace leadership and entrepreneurial skills to enhance healthcare delivery and drive progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

READ ALSO:Resident doctors decry abductions, seeks government intervention 

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this appeal while delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the National Executive Council Meeting and Scientific Conference of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Abuja.

Speaking on the theme, “Empowering Doctors with Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills: A Panacea for Universal Health Coverage and a Brighter Healthcare System,” Dr. Salako commended NARD for prioritizing these often-overlooked skill sets.

He emphasized that while doctors are natural leaders in clinical practice, expanding their leadership and entrepreneurial expertise would strengthen health policy development, management, and innovation in the sector.

“As the healthcare landscape evolves, doctors must be equipped with the skills to lead, innovate, and adapt to changing circumstances,” he stated, noting that such empowerment would improve patient outcomes, reduce inefficiencies, and promote equitable healthcare delivery.

The Minister highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving UHC by 2030, noting significant progress in expanding health insurance coverage. He revealed that between 2023 and December 2024, there was a 15.7% increase in the number of Nigerians covered by health insurance, moving from 16.8 million to 19.4 million enrollees.

He urged all health training institutions and regulatory bodies to integrate leadership and entrepreneurship training into their curricula to better prepare healthcare professionals for the challenges ahead.

Addressing the economic challenges facing the country, Dr. Salako called on resident doctors and other health workers to demonstrate understanding and patience. He likened President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing reforms to a complex surgical procedure requiring careful execution and temporary sacrifices for long-term stability.

“Nigeria requires us to make sacrifices at this point in time, to show understanding and restraint. I urge you to deepen communication, consultation, and compromise in your industrial relations and make industrial harmony a priority,” he urged.

He assured that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare remains committed to engaging with medical professionals to address their welfare concerns within the limits of economic realities.

Dr. Salako reiterated the government’s dedication to strengthening the healthcare system and urged doctors to remain committed to the country’s progress.

“Nigeria needs you to grow stronger, healthier, productive, and more prosperous. Let us continue to believe in our country and support the hard but inevitable reforms of the government of the day,” he said.

The NARD conference is expected to explore strategies for enhancing doctors’ leadership and entrepreneurial capacities, with the aim of building a more sustainable and efficient healthcare system in Nigeria.