Standardising the Criteria for Technical 
Leadership in the Nigerian Health 
System to Maximise Equity, Fairness 
and Effectiveness

Medical doctors in Nigeria have been faced with stiff resistance from other allied health professionals, standing toe-to-toe against them on account of their dominance in leadership in the health sector. Therefore, this study will be tailored towards (a) identifying the conflict in the Nigerian health sector leadership, (b) critically analysing the prerequisite of leadership, both in the hospital and in any health authority, and (c) discussing how the findings can be applicable to the Nigerian context, whilst giving recommendations on bringing a lasting solution to the healthcare leadership of the country. The effectiveness of the doctor versus the non-doctor leadership in health is debated, and it is concluded that a trained manager is the best fit to head the hospital and health authority. A framework is developed to map out a thorough process that will engineer the build-up of a leader specifically in healthcare, which is a stepladder mechanism that marries academic and professional competencies through some eligibility requirements that will qualify a person to be a leader in the hospital or local government health department, then a commissioner of health in a region and then the Minister of Health, the stepladder mechanism. This then should not only be implemented in Nigeria but may also be adopted by any low- and middle-income country to improve their health leadership effectiveness.