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Mahmud Tajo Sani Gaya, Executive Chairman of Gaya Local Government and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) representative on healthcare matters in Kano State, has said that health fellows being recruited under a federal government initiative will strengthen disease surveillance and improve outbreak response across the state.

Dr Gaya disclosed this on Friday at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) while speaking during the final stage of interviews for the Federal Health Fellowship Programme.

According to him, the programme is designed to ensure that healthcare delivery at the local government level meets national and global standards, particularly in the early detection of and response to disease outbreaks.

“Health fellows will play a key role in disease surveillance at the grassroots. They will be among the first responders when outbreaks occur in our communities,” he said.

Gaya explained that more than 100,000 health professionals and allied cadres applied for the fellowship nationwide, from which candidates were screened by the Federal Ministry of Health.

He said Kano State received 132 shortlisted candidates, representing three candidates from each of the state’s 44 local government areas, who were interviewed over a five-day period that began on Monday.

“At the end of the process, one fellow will be selected per local government. That means Kano will have 44 health fellows who will support healthcare delivery, surveillance and emergency response at the local level,” he said.

He stressed that transparency and fairness guided the selection process, noting that the interview panel included medical doctors from various specialisations, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), state ministries of health, academia, the emirate council, ALGON, the Primary Health Care Management Board, and the Ministry of Health.

Gaya also said the fellows would undergo a series of training sessions before deployment.
“After the final selection, they will be invited to Abuja for general training. When they return, there will be step-down trainings, on-the-job trainings and continuous capacity building to ensure they are fully prepared,” he added.

He noted that the presence of trained health fellows at the grassroots would help close existing gaps in primary healthcare, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.

Health fellows will strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak response in Kano – LG chairman Gaya

A new legal battle has erupted over plans to appoint a Deputy Governor in Kano State, as lawyers have approached the court seeking to halt the State House of Assembly from screening Murtala Garo for the position.

In a letter dated April 15, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker, Jibrin Falgore, a law firm, Suleiman Mohammed & Co., stated that it had instituted a case on behalf of Kuliyya Muhammad Salihu and two others.

The lawyers explained that the suit challenges the planned screening of Garo and is already before the Kano State High Court.

They noted that the case, marked K/360/2026, is still pending, stressing that the matter is sub judice.

According to them, it would be improper for the Assembly to proceed with any action while the case remains unresolved.

They cautioned lawmakers to suspend all steps relating to the screening, warning that any action taken during the pendency of the case could prejudice the course of justice.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Clerk of the Assembly, with lawmakers confirming receipt.

The development comes amid rising political tension in Kano over the deputy governorship position, with various groups reportedly holding meetings and engaging in lobbying.

The fresh court case has further deepened the growing political crisis in the state.

Lawyers move to stop screening of Garo for Kano deputy governorship