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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigeria has taken another step toward addressing shortages in specialist healthcare services following the award of 91 scholarships to healthcare professionals by the Merck Foundation, covering 44 critical and underserved medical specialties.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, disclosed this during the inauguration of the 13th Edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2026, a virtual conference attended by First Ladies, healthcare experts, policymakers and development partners from Africa and Asia.
She described the scholarships as a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare workforce and improving access to specialist medical services across the country.
The First Lady noted that 42 Nigerian healthcare professionals received training in diabetes, endocrinology, cardiology, preventive cardiovascular medicine and obesity management, while 20 others benefited from programmes in fertility, embryology, sexual and reproductive health.
She added that 16 healthcare workers were trained in geriatric care, critical care, dermatology, respiratory medicine and rheumatology, while another 11 received scholarships in acute medicine, family medicine, infectious diseases, medical oncology, neurology and pain management.
She said: “The Merck Foundation has provided 91 scholarships for our Nigerian healthcare providers in 44 critical and underserved specialities. The initiative was helping to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery and improve patient care outcomes nationwide.”
Beyond healthcare, the First Lady said the Foundation has also continued to invest in education through its Educating Linda Programme, which has awarded scholarships to 71 academically gifted but underprivileged Nigerian girls. “The objective of this programme is to enable them to create pathways to pursue their dreams and future careers,” she stated.
The First Lady further disclosed that the Foundation donated 2,800 sets of educational materials, including school bags, pencils, rulers, pens and coloured pencils, which were distributed across the country through the offices of state First Ladies.
She also revealed that Merck Foundation supplied 4,000 copies of seven children’s storybooks designed to promote girls’ education, discourage child marriage, combat infertility stigma and raise awareness on diabetes and hypertension.
According to her, Nigeria subsequently reproduced 140,000 copies of the books for distribution to public school libraries nationwide through the Federal Ministry of Education.
“I strongly believe that these books will positively impact both boys and girls by promoting important values, health behaviours and social awareness from an early age,” she said.
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Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of the Africa Asia Luminary, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, said the organisation had awarded more than 2,600 scholarships to healthcare professionals from 52 countries in critical and underserved specialties.
She noted that many beneficiaries had become the first specialists in their respective countries, helping to transform healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. “I am proud to share that Merck Foundation has provided more than 2,600 scholarships for healthcare providers from 52 countries in 44 critical and underserved specialties.
“Together with our Ambassadors and partners, we are making history and transforming the patient care landscape across Africa, Asia and beyond,” she said.
Dr. Kelej explained that over 800 of the scholarships focused on fertility, embryology, sexual and reproductive medicine, women’s health, psychiatry, urology and family medicine under the Foundation’s “More Than a Mother” campaign.
“These scholarships are helping strengthen fertility care services and improving access to women’s health across 42 countries,” she added.
Also speaking, Director of the Tata Memorial Centre, India, Prof. Sudip Gupta, described the partnership between his institution and the Merck Foundation as a successful model for international collaboration in cancer care.
He said the programme, launched in 2016, had supported hundreds of oncology scholarships across 27 African countries and was helping to build multidisciplinary cancer care teams while improving access to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Chairman of the Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to improving health outcomes through healthcare capacity building and access to quality healthcare.
“At Merck Foundation, we remain committed to improving health and well-being by building healthcare capacity and providing access to quality and equitable healthcare across Africa, Asia and beyond,” he said.
The conference brought together First Ladies from Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Botswana, Liberia, Mozambique, The Gambia, Maldives and other countries, alongside policymakers, academics, healthcare professionals and media practitioners.
The Foundation also disclosed that it has trained more than 4,000 media professionals across 42 countries and supports educational opportunities for over 1,550 African schoolgirls annually, underscoring its commitment to healthcare development, education and social transformation.
