Stay updated on healthcare innovations, tech and trends!
Subscribe to the WHX Insights newsletter.
Unlock the power of purposeful leadership in healthcareUnlock the power of purposeful leadership in healthcare
Transform medical professionals into visionary leaders while building high-performing healthcare institutions.
6 Min Read
In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, there is an urgent need to transform the way healthcare is managed. Healthcare, once viewed predominantly as a service focused on patient care, must now be recognised as a complex business that requires the same strategic thinking, financial acumen, and leadership skills as any other sector. Shifting from a purely clinical view of healthcare to a business-minded approach is essential for sustaining and growing healthcare organisations, especially in resource-limited settings like Nigeria. At the centre of this transformation is the urgent need to develop resilient and future-ready healthcare leaders.
This growing demand for strong leadership reflects a broader shift in healthcare — one where clinical excellence must now be matched with operational, financial, and strategic expertise. Today, it is not enough for healthcare leaders to focus solely on quality care; they must also navigate financial pressures, regulatory demands, and the drive for efficiency. However, many healthcare professionals face significant challenges when transitioning from clinical roles to business management. While doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers excel in patient care, they often lack critical skills like financial planning, HR management, and strategic leadership, which are essential for resilient and effective management.
This leadership gap has real consequences. Inefficiencies, poor financial planning, and lack of strategic direction can hinder the growth of healthcare facilities, reducing the quality of care and limiting their ability to scale and reach more patients. This is particularly concerning for small and medium-sized healthcare enterprises (SMEs) — clinics, diagnostic centres, and small hospitals — which form the backbone of healthcare delivery in low- and middle-income countries.
Addressing the leadership gap: The healthcare management programme
“What happens when we equip healthcare professionals not just to treat, but to lead?”
One standout initiative helping to close this gap is the Healthcare Management Program (HMP), developed by PharmAccess in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University. The programme was created to bridge the disconnect between clinical expertise and business management, particularly in the Nigerian healthcare context.
The HMP offers an intensive curriculum covering essential areas such as financial management, strategic planning, human resources, succession planning, and quality assurance. Courses are delivered by experienced faculty and industry practitioners who bring a mix of academic insight and real-world experience.
To ensure real-world impact, the HMP combines online modules with in-person sessions, group assignments, and one-on-one coaching. This hands-on approach allows participants to immediately apply what they’ve learned to their healthcare organisations — enhancing both operational efficiency and service delivery.
Since its launch, the programme has trained over 270 healthcare professionals who have gone on to transform their organisations. Alumni from both public and private institutions like Medbury Medical Services, Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute Metta, Paelon Memorial Hospital, Lagos State Health Services Commission, among others, have implemented strategic reforms, enhanced quality assurance protocols, and improved financial efficiency in their organisations. These transformations are not only elevating organisational performance but also expanding access to quality care across the country.
Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director, Enterprise Development Centre; Dr. Atinuke Onayiga, Chairman, Lagos State Health Service Commission; and Dr. Benjamin Eniayewun, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission and Njide Ndili, Country Director of PharmAccess; at a graduation ceremony of the Health Management Program (HMP) at Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University.
The success of the HMP underscores the urgent need to embed leadership development earlier in the healthcare pipeline. Introducing healthcare management and leadership modules into medical school curricula would equip young clinicians with foundational skills in administration, strategic thinking and human-centred leadership. This will ensure that the next generation of healthcare professionals are not only clinically sound but also equipped to lead, manage and scale impact within complex health systems.
Expanding impact: The HFN Women’s Forum
Another key initiative driving leadership development in Nigeria’s healthcare sector is the launch of the HFN Women’s Forum in 2023. Recognising the longstanding underrepresentation of women in healthcare leadership, the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) established the Women’s Forum to empower the next generation of female healthcare professionals. The Forum aims to build a strong, diverse pipeline of female leaders by providing information, inspiration, and mentorship opportunities tailored to the unique challenges women face in the healthcare sector.
Through initiatives like seminars, mentorship programmes, and networking events, the Forum empowers women with essential skills in areas such as business acumen, financial literacy, governance and career development. Notable efforts include seminars focusing on healthcare essentials for young professionals and the annual Pitchathon, which highlights innovative healthcare solutions led by young female entrepreneurs and provides them with the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to grow their ideas.
Orji Anita receives the first-place prize at the HFN Women’s Forum 2025 Pitchathon for her innovation, CODE-RED, a digital platform that bridges communication gaps in emergency care by connecting users with hospitals, medical services, and real-time data.
By providing a platform for collaboration and personal growth, the Forum is helping to cultivate a new generation of female leaders equipped to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Guided by an Advisory Board of prominent female leaders in healthcare, the HFN Women’s Forum is shaping a future where women are better equipped to lead, innovate, and drive sustainable improvements in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
HFN Women’s Forum Seminar on Healthcare Essentials for Young Female Medical Professionals.
Building leadership across the entire ecosystem
While programmes like the HMP and the HFN Women’s Forum are making a real impact, the need for leadership development extends beyond facility managers and clinical staff. Policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem must also build the skills required to create cohesive, effective systems. Importantly, policymakers must understand the real-world implications of the policies they create. Policy decisions must be grounded in a thorough understanding of how they affect healthcare providers, institutions, and ultimately, the patients.
At the same time, frontline healthcare workers must begin to see themselves as integral components of a much larger system. Their actions, capacity, and the quality of data they collect have far-reaching effects. Data collected at the facility level influences funding decisions, shapes national health metrics, and determines public health priorities. Therefore, building leadership at the frontline means cultivating a sense of system-wide accountability and strategic awareness among healthcare workers.
Strengthening leadership at all levels can help create a more cohesive and efficient healthcare system, capable of delivering better care to all Nigerians, especially those in underserved areas. To achieve this, it is essential that leadership development is seen as an ongoing process. Healthcare leaders must be continually supported through mentorship, coaching, and periodic capacity-building initiatives.
Conclusion
Leadership lies at the heart of healthcare transformation. The shift from care to capability is key to the long-term success of healthcare institutions, with leadership development at its core. Programmes like the Health Management Program and the HFN Women’s Forum have already proven their value. But to truly transform healthcare in Nigeria and across Africa, these efforts must be scaled and replicated across all levels of the system. Stakeholders, from governments to private sector, must prioritise leadership development as a strategic tool for health system strengthening. With the right investment in people, Africa can build a healthcare system that not only delivers care — but leads, innovates, and endures.
This article, authored by Njide Ndili, President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, is part of ongoing advocacy efforts leading up to the HFN Healthcare Leadership Conference, organised in partnership with WHX Lagos, set to hold on June 2, 2025.
Get exclusive in-person access to the latest laboratory innovation and trends by registering at WHX Lagos Labs.
