The Built for Her Foundation has launched a national scholarship programme aimed at strengthening female representation in Nigeria’s healthcare workforce as part of a broader effort to close the gender health gap and improve outcomes for women and girls.
Speaking at the inaugural scholarship event in Abuja, the founder of the foundation, Dr Teniola Saraki, said the initiative was driven by the conviction that women and girls must be deliberately included in health systems if equity and national development are to be achieved.
She said the foundation was established around the scholarship scheme, which is being implemented in partnership with the Nigerian Medical Students Association and targets 30 female medical students in their 400 level from accredited institutions across the six geopolitical zones.
“The foundation first came about due to the scholarship which we are announcing today. It’s a national scholarship in partnership with the Nigerian Medical Students Association, and it gives 30 beneficiaries from across all six geopolitical zones their 400-level tuition fees,” Dr Saraki said.
Beyond easing financial pressure, she explained that the programme is designed to provide long-term engagement and mentorship for beneficiaries throughout their medical education and professional careers, noting that women remain underrepresented in medicine.
“Female representation in the physician workforce is low, it’s below 50 percent. And so we’re really trying to include women in the healthcare workforce,” she said.
Noting that the increasing number of women doctors has system-wide benefits, Dr Saraki said, “More women in the healthcare workforce have multiple benefits in terms of healthcare utilization, policy, care delivery in hospitals and understanding the needs of women.
She described the gender health gap as a global concern, stressing that women spend significantly more time in poor health than men.
“Globally women spend 25 percent more of their time in poor health compared to men, which translates to seven more days every year and about nine more years over a lifetime,” she noted.
Dr Saraki explained that the scholarship is only the foundation’s first step, with plans to expand into research and programmes focused on conditions that disproportionately affect women.
She said: “In terms of the scholarship right now, there are 30 beneficiaries nationwide, and that’s just our first initiative. We will do our part to support women both in the healthcare workforce and as patients.”
Dr Saraki said the foundation’s work aligns with five pillars identified by McKinsey for closing the gender health gap, namely counting women, including women, studying women, caring for women and investing in women.
“The scholarship targets the pillar of including women,” she said, adding that the foundation’s broader mission is to address women’s health challenges through evidence-based interventions
She said beneficiaries were selected strictly on merit based on academic performance. Applications were received from medical schools nationwide, after which the highest-achieving students, five from each geopolitical zone, were chosen.
She disclosed that the programme was fully financed and is expected to run annually.
Representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, Dr Mayowa Alade said the Federal Government welcomes initiatives that address gender disparities in health.
Pate noted that women’s health is central to national productivity and said current reforms under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative prioritise maternal and child health.
Founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Mrs Toyin Saraki, said sustainable national development cannot be achieved without prioritising the health and wellbeing of women and girls.
The former First Lady of Kwara State said persistent gaps in access, representation and investment continue to shape unequal health outcomes, adding that the Built for Her Foundation’s data-driven approach would help strengthen accountability.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Kwaru Mohammad-Idris described women’s health as the foundation of gender equity, stressing that health influences how women learn, work, care and lead.
She cautioned against limiting women’s health to reproductive issues alone, noting that many diseases affect women differently or more severely.
Citing McKinsey Institute data, she said 64 percent of women with interventional health needs do not receive effective care and that women globally spend an average of nine more years in poor health than men.
Underscoring the importance of the intervention, she commended Saraki’s Built For Her Foundation, describing Nigeria’s maternal mortality figures as unacceptable and noting that the initiative was both timely and necessary.
Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), FCT chapter, Dr Emeka Ayogu, said the scholarship was timely and would encourage more women to pursue medicine, while Ahmadu Delmi Sardauna, Ex Officio and the 48th President of the Nigerian Medical Students Association, said the initiative would inspire female students and strengthen the country’s health workforce.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Hindat Abdulwahab, a fourth-year medical student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, described the scholarship as more than financial support, calling it a strong affirmation for women navigating the demanding medical profession.
She said medicine remains one of humanity’s noblest callings and a privilege that allows practitioners to support people in their most vulnerable moments.
