The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians experiencing reduced electricity supply in parts of the country of a swift restoration of normal supply.

Tegbe gave the assurance in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday evening in Lagos.

He said that electricity supply would soon improve in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun and Kwara, among other affected areas, which had recently recorded noticeable improvements in power supply before the current disruptions.

The minister acknowledged the inconvenience caused to households, businesses and public institutions, saying the government understood the frustration of consumers.

“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” he said.

According to him, preliminary assessments indicate that the disruptions are not caused by any major or systemic failure of the national grid.

He attributed the outages to maintenance and operational challenges within parts of the power sector, alongside reduced electricity generation caused by gas supply constraints to thermal power stations and lower water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs.

“All of these are being addressed,” he said.

Tegbe said that the ministry was working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to restore normal supply.

He said that he had engaged the relevant operators to resolve operational challenges, accelerate ongoing maintenance and keep consumers informed of developments.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining improvements in the power sector and enhancing the reliability and quality of electricity supply nationwide.

He thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding, promising to provide further updates as restoration efforts progressed. (NAN)

By David Torough, Abuja

Accredited health professional colleges, training institutions and regulatory bodies across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region have commenced efforts to finalise harmonised subspecialty training modules for eight professional colleges and the West African postgraduate medical education framework under the West African Health Organization (WAHO) and the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES).

The initiative, discussed at an integration meeting in Abuja on Monday, is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, improving the quality of specialist training, facilitating professional mobility and reducing the need for patients to travel outside West Africa to access advanced medical care.

The meeting brought together representatives of ECOWAS member states, professional regulatory bodies, accredited training institutions, health ministries and regional health organisations to review and finalise the harmonised subspecialty modules ahead of their implementation.

Speaking on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria’s Liaison Officer to WAHO and the African Union at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Dakum Londji, said harmonising health professional education was essential to building a stronger and more resilient West African health system.

In his address titled “Strengthening Regional Integration and Harmonization of Health Professional Education for a Stronger West Africa,” Pate welcomed participants to Nigeria and stressed that health challenges across the region required collective solutions.

He noted that diseases did not respect national boundaries and that knowledge, expertise and health professionals should similarly be able to move across borders through effective regional cooperation.

According to him, differences in curricula, training standards and accreditation procedures have historically created barriers to professional mobility, limited the quality of training and made it difficult for qualified health professionals to practise across the subregion.

He said the integration process was not intended to impose uniformity but to establish common standards of excellence while respecting the peculiarities and national contexts of individual countries.

The minister identified three major priorities for the regional initiative: harmonisation of curricula and training standards, mutual recognition of professional qualifications to promote mobility, and strengthened quality assurance and accountability among regulatory institutions.

He explained that harmonising core competencies, minimum training requirements and accreditation criteria would help ensure that health professionals trained in different ECOWAS countries attained comparable standards.

Pate also emphasised the need for regulatory bodies to strengthen collaboration through information sharing, ethical enforcement and improved professional oversight to guarantee that graduates were competent, compassionate and fit to practise.

He said the initiative aligned with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and ongoing health sector reforms, which include investments in training institutions, expansion of accreditation, stronger regulation and the promotion of digital learning and innovation.

The minister urged participants to ensure that the meeting produced concrete decisions, a practical implementation roadmap and clear timelines, describing regional integration as a necessity rather than an option.

He commended WAHO, the ECOWAS Commission, professional regulatory bodies, training institutions and development partners for their contributions to advancing health workforce development in West Africa before formally declaring the meeting open.

WAHO highlights persistent health workforce crisis

In his remarks, the Director-General of WAHO, Professor Palokinam Pitche, represented by the organisation’s Programme Manager, Professor Joseph Olorunda, described the integration meeting as an important step towards addressing the persistent shortage of skilled health professionals and weaknesses in healthcare delivery across the ECOWAS region.

He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for supporting the organisation of the meeting in Nigeria.

Olorunda observed that despite several international and regional commitments to achieving health for all, many West African countries continued to struggle with inadequate health financing, weak disease surveillance systems, poor public health infrastructure and insufficient human resources for health.

He said the challenges had been compounded by inadequate funding for training institutions, employment restrictions, poor working conditions, low remuneration and limited opportunities for professional advancement.

These factors, he explained, had contributed to the migration of skilled health professionals within and outside the region, further weakening healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Citing findings from a 2025 review by the WHO Regional Office for Africa’s West African Office, he noted that most of the 15 ECOWAS member states had fewer than one physician, nurse and midwife per 1,000 inhabitants, while only two countries recorded health workforce density ratios between one and 2.2 per 1,000 inhabitants.

He said the figures underscored the significant workforce gap confronting the region as countries work towards achieving universal health coverage by 2030.

Olorunda also recalled that previous assessments had highlighted the need for at least 2.5 health workers per 1,000 population to make meaningful progress in reducing maternal mortality, describing the human resources shortage as a major obstacle to sustainable development.

The WAHO representative outlined several interventions undertaken by the organisation to strengthen health professional education and workforce development.

He disclosed that WAHO had facilitated the harmonisation of 58 training curricula at basic and post-basic levels across different health professional categories.

Other interventions, he said, included the development of harmonised training modules for community-based health workers, scholarships for 44 health professionals in critical areas, and financial assistance to member states implementing harmonised curricula.

The organisation had also developed trainers’ manuals, supported research and academic publications by professional colleges, and established a regional action plan for motivating and retaining health professionals in difficult terrains.

He further highlighted WAHO’s support for the continuous training of 23 health professionals from ECOWAS countries in antibiotherapy and vaccinology, as well as support for professional colleges and academic institutions to strengthen research and knowledge development.

The colleges benefiting from various forms of support include the West African colleges of Surgeons, Physicians, Pharmacists, Nursing and Midwifery, Environmental Health and Medical Laboratory Science, as well as the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Olorunda reiterated WAHO’s commitment to working with governments, professional institutions and development partners to implement regional decisions on health workforce development.

He identified five critical priorities emerging from the WHO’s 2025 review: ensuring that health workers receive quality training, protecting and supporting health personnel, improving workforce efficiency throughout their professional careers, addressing inequalities and imbalances in workforce distribution, and strengthening partnerships and trust to support fragile health systems.

Speaking on behalf of the West African professional colleges, Professor Yao Tettey commended WAHO for facilitating the harmonisation exercise, describing the ongoing process as a significant development in the evolution of postgraduate health professional education in the region.

He recalled that ECOWAS Heads of State and Government had previously expressed concerns about the lengthy duration of postgraduate fellowship training and the limited availability of middle-level specialists to serve the wider population.

According to him, the concerns prompted discussions through the Assembly of Health Ministers, leading professional colleges to introduce Part One membership examinations as an exit point for doctors who could subsequently serve as specialists in district hospitals.

Tettey explained that while the introduction of membership qualifications addressed the need for middle-level specialists, the colleges recognised the growing demand for highly specialised medical services across West Africa.

He said the professional colleges subsequently developed subspecialty programmes to address advanced healthcare needs and reduce dependence on countries outside the region for highly specialised treatment.

He commended WAHO for supporting the development and harmonisation of the programmes, noting that the current exercise would consolidate the progress already achieved in harmonising training from basic professional education through fellowship and now subspecialty levels.

Tettey, however, expressed concern about the high cost of subspecialty healthcare and the lack of appropriate equipment and infrastructure in some countries, which had forced highly trained specialists to leave after returning home.

Using Ghana as an example, he said some specialists who returned after advanced training had been unable to practise effectively because the facilities and equipment required for their expertise were unavailable.

He noted that the emergence of centres of excellence across the subregion was gradually creating opportunities for highly trained specialists to return and practise their skills.

He cited developments in Nigeria in areas such as interventional cardiology and renal transplantation as examples of the growing capacity for advanced healthcare delivery within the region.

The college representative therefore appealed to ECOWAS leadership and national governments to provide adequate financial support, equipment and infrastructure for subspecialty programmes to enable trained professionals to deliver the services for which they had been prepared.

He said the ultimate objective should be to build a West African healthcare system capable of providing advanced medical services locally, eliminating the need for patients to travel to the United Kingdom, United States, France and other countries for specialised treatment.

The Abuja integration meeting represents another phase in the broader effort to establish a coordinated framework for health professional education and specialist development across West Africa.

With the harmonisation of subspecialty modules, participating institutions are expected to strengthen common training standards, improve the comparability of professional qualifications and create opportunities for greater collaboration among accredited colleges and regulatory authorities.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of matching investments in specialist training with adequate healthcare infrastructure, equipment, funding and incentives to retain skilled professionals.

Participants are expected to review and finalise the harmonised documents during the meeting, laying the groundwork for their implementation across participating institutions and ECOWAS member states.

By David Torough

After three days of serious brain-storming sessions in Abuja, the West African Health Organization (WAHO), has successfully developed harmonised procedure manuals for all Health Disciplines and Profession in the ECOWAS region.

The manuals, described by an official of the heath body as one of the most technical documents ever produced by WAHO , provide clear, standardised guidance on Professional conduct and ethics — the values that must govern our practice; Clinical and operational procedures — how we deliver safe, evidence-based care and; Licensing, registration, and discipline — how we assure competence and accountability.

Other areas covered by the manuals include continuing professional development — how we keep our workforce current and relevant and; Cross-border practice and mutual recognition — how we enable our professionals to serve where they are most needed, without compromising standards.

Speaking at the closing of the workshop on Saturday, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described the development of the manuals as a landmark achievement that has now moved the ECOWAS Region from aspiration to action.

“Over the past days, you have worked tirelessly to address a long-standing challenge in our sub-region: the fragmentation of standards, procedures, and expectations that guide our health professionals,” the minister told the participants, made up of representatives of Professional Regulatory Bodies, Heads of Health Training Institutions, Development Partners and other resource persons.

The minister, who was represented by the WAHO Liaison Officer for Nigeria, Dr. Dakum Longji Benji, further said, “When a nurse trained in Ghana, a doctor trained in Senegal, a pharmacist trained in Nigeria, or a laboratory scientist trained in Sierra Leone steps into a facility anywhere in our region, our people can now be assured of the same quality, the same safety, and the same professionalism.”

Recalling the words of Nelson Mandela: “Health cannot be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right,” the minister declared: “Today, I can say with pride that you have given practical meaning to those words.

He noted that the strength of any health system lies not in its buildings or equipment, but in its people — in the competence, professionalism, and integrity of its health workforce, adding that the manuals developed during the workshop complement the great strides WAHO has already made in harmonising training curricula across the region.

“You have now translated those curricula into daily practice — from the classroom to the clinic, from the laboratory to the community,” he stated.

He charged the participants to first, return to their respective countries as champions of these manuals, and work with their regulatory councils, training institutions, and ministries of health to domesticate, adopt, and enforce them.

“Second, let us ensure these manuals are living documents — regularly reviewed, updated with new evidence, and responsive to emerging health threats and technologies.

“Third, let us hold ourselves accountable. The true test of this workshop will not be in this hall, but in our hospitals, health centres, and communities, where a mother, a child, or an elderly patient encounters a health professional they can trust,” he said.

He commended WAHO under the leadership of the Director-General for its vision and leadership, just as he thanked all the experts, rapporteurs, facilitators, and development partners who contributed their knowledge, time, and resources to this success.

In his remarks, the Representative of the Deans of Faculties, Professor Vodouhe Ulrich, said WAHO should ensure the wide dissemination of the harmonised procedure manuals developed during the workshop, making them accessible to health training institutions and professionals throughout the ECOWAS region.

 On his part, the representative of the West African Colleges, Professor Yao Tettey, recalled that at the opening ceremony, he had described the document that were about to be finalised as the foundation of all our professional documents, noting that following the three-day deliberations, “I am even more convinced of its importance.

“Over the past three days, we have engaged in extensive discussions, exchanged ideas, expressed differing opinions and ultimately reached a consensus on important technical issues. Together, we have produced a document of considerable technical and practical value. It is not simply another procedural manual. It is a comprehensive reference that reflects our collective professional experience and addresses practical needs that are not adequately covered in conventional textbooks.”

He therefore appeal to everyone responsible for the remaining stages of the process to ensure that the document is properly finalised, thoroughly reviewed and submitted to the West African Health Organisation. He also appealed to WAHO to ensure that the finalised manuals are widely disseminated and made accessible to health professionals, training institutions and students across the region.

“These manuals should serve not only as procedural references but also as practical training resources for current and future generations of health professionals. Their value will ultimately depend on how effectively they are used to strengthen professional practice and improve the quality of healthcare delivery in our Member States,” he said.

Professor Awa Seck, who spoke on behalf of the ECOWAS Chairmanship, commended WAHO for its leadership in bringing us together and providing the institutional framework necessary to advance this important regional initiative.

“The quality of our deliberations demonstrates that we are moving in the right direction towards more consistent and harmonised professional practices across the ECOWAS region. I also extend our sincere appreciation to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for its hospitality and the excellent arrangements made for this workshop,” she remarked.

According to Prof Seck, the principal objective of this meeting was to finalise harmonised procedure manuals for health professionals, thereby providing our countries with practical tools to improve the quality of healthcare delivered to our populations

“The progress achieved represents an important milestone in the development of common professional standards and harmonised procedures across the region,” she noted.

The President of the Regional Council, Professor Koffi Balogou, thanked everyone participant for the dedication demonstrated throughout the workshop, as he expressed confidence that the remaining tasks would be completed and that the final documents would be of considerable value to health professionals across our region.

In his closing remarks, the Director-General of WAHO, Professor Palokinam T. PITCHE, noted that the documents developed during the three-day workshop “represent some of the most technically demanding work undertaken within our regional efforts to harmonise health professional training and practice,” stressing that at WAHO, “we place considerable importance on technical rigour, professional competence, transparency and the quality of our work.”

Prof PITCE, who was represented by Professor Joseph OLORUNDA, explained that it was in furtherance of this commitment that WAHO brought together experienced professionals and recognised experts who understand the realities of health training, regulation and service delivery in the ECOWAS Member States.

According to him, “the development of these manuals builds on the substantial work already undertaken to harmonise health professional training curricula across the ECOWAS region. Those harmonised curricula have attracted interest beyond West Africa, demonstrating the technical value of the region’s collective efforts.”

He said: “Our objective is not simply to produce documents, but to establish comprehensive and practical reference materials that can guide professional training and practice. The expertise assembled here has enabled us to develop resources that reflect the particular needs of our region while remaining relevant to wider professional standards. The significance of this work extends beyond the documents themselves. We are laying the foundations for greater professional mobility, mutual recognition of qualifications and improved consistency in healthcare delivery across ECOWAS Member States.

“Our ambition is to create an environment in which appropriately qualified health professionals can practise across national borders within a harmonised framework of professional standards. A health professional trained in one Member State should be able to contribute effectively to healthcare delivery in another, subject to the applicable regulatory requirements. This is an essential dimension of regional integration

“The work being undertaken today will also benefit future generations of health professionals, who will inherit clearer professional guidance and more consistent standards.”

The Director-General further reminded participants that the work was not yet complete, pointing out that the documents must be carefully reviewed, edited and finalised to ensure that they meet the required technical and professional standards.

“Once finalised, WAHO intends to facilitate access to these materials through its institutional platforms, including its website. The aim is to make the manuals available to health professionals, training institutions, regulatory authorities and other relevant stakeholders. Their use and reproduction will be subject to the applicable copyright and intellectual property arrangements. Where necessary, WAHO will also facilitate technical support to institutions seeking guidance on the practical application of the manuals. The ultimate objective is to ensure that these documents are not merely published but effectively used to strengthen healthcare delivery,” he said.