Funmi Ogundare
Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, recently inaugurated a 12-month Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) Leadership Fellowship to equip health professionals with practical leadership and problem-solving skills to address health governance and management challenges in Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States.
The fellowship, which forms part of the mentoring phase of the Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC) Project, is a component of the four-year Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health in Nigeria (SARAH) project, funded by the European Union (EU) and jointly implemented by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Speaking at the orientation session, Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, Dr. Gafar Alawode, noted that the fellowship was designed to move beyond conventional leadership training by supporting participants to identify and tackle real RMNCAH+N and health programme challenges within their institutions and states.
He urged the fellows to take ownership of the challenges they had identified and remain committed to developing and implementing practical solutions.
He said the fellowship was designed to nurture a new generation of leaders with enhanced personal effectiveness, an expanded sphere of influence and strong problem-solving abilities.
“The RMNCAH+N leadership fellowship is a practical leadership development programme, designed to nurture a new generation of leaders with enhanced personal effectiveness, an expanded sphere of influence, and strong problem-solving skills, while supporting them to address specific RMNCAH+N or health programme challenges within their institutions or states,” he said.
According to him, fellows would, over the next 12 months, participate in structured learning sessions, self-directed learning and reflection, practical problem-solving, peer learning and handholding support.
They are expected to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to develop and implement actions aimed at addressing specific health challenges identified within their respective institutions or states.
Alawode stressed that active participation and ownership would be critical to the success of the programme, urging fellows to attend sessions consistently, complete assigned tasks within agreed timelines, engage their supervisors and contribute to peer learning and knowledge sharing.
The fellowship brings together participants from state ministries of health, state Primary Health Care (PHCs) boards, hospital service nanagement boards, academia, professional groups and other relevant institutions across the three states.
Alawode said the initiative would create opportunities for cross-state learning, collaboration and exchange of experiences among participants.
“Through this fellowship, we want to move beyond traditional training and create a platform for continuous learning, collaboration, practical problem-solving and leadership development. Fellows will have the opportunity to strengthen their leadership competencies while working on real RMNCAH+N challenges in their respective states,” he said.
He added that the programme would also establish a network of RMNCAH+N leadership champions who could help sustain leadership and health systems improvements beyond the lifespan of the SARAH project.
Fellows, who successfully complete the programme, will receive certificates of completion and be considered for state and national recognition as RMNCAH+N leadership champions.
Their achievements, lessons and promising practices will also be documented to support wider learning and contribute to improvements in RMNCAH+N programming and the health system.
Also speaking, Programme Officer at DGI Consult, Opemipo Afolabi, explained that the fellowship was intended to build a community of leaders who could learn from one another while applying their knowledge to practical health challenges.
“This is a commitment to improving RMNCAH+N outcomes through stronger leadership and innovative problem-solving. The fellowship brings together participants from the three ELGMC project states to support continued learning, peer engagement and practical action as fellows work towards addressing challenges within their respective institutions and states,” she stressed.