@ pluto04, nice suggestions. As far working in the UK, recent government cuts has seen the closure of many health consulting firms (I have discussed with a couple of them), because of poor patronage from the NHS. My research showed that opportunities in consulting abounds more in the states, which has a strong mix of private and public providers, unfortunately when I communicated with these companies, many of them though interested said that they can not sponsor work Visas, as they are required by law to ensure that the position being advertised must be filled by Americans or resident in the country with permission to work, only when this is not achievable, then can they recruit internationally (really sucks). That said, my main interest really is in consulting services focussed on African Health systems. During my degree program in International Public Health, I realised that many opportunities abound in Africa (I did some research in an East African country). As for working in the big consulting firms, I would say I am not quite interested; I prefer smaller, growing firms, that will give me the range of opportunities and challenges I desire. As for starting my own company, this is my ultimate goal, but as I told one of the members in this forum, "one must learn to walk, before they can learn to run"

@ Double-en, I do not quite agree with u that a health system is not in place in Nigeria. A health system consists of a range of providers of health centrally or dis-centrally controlled and coordinated. Nigeria operates a health system where different government (federal, state and local government), private for profit, and private non-for profit exist. The federal ministry of health provides strategic guidance, advise and coordination (not necessarily control) of these different providers. As for the consulting in Nigeria, the major challenge will be to show them what they stand to gain (a kind of now and after effect) from utilizing ur expertise. A very attractive prospect in Healthcare in Nigeria is mergers and acquisitions, more than 1000 health facilities exist currently in the country (population >140 million), If an acquiring firm can gain a foot hold here, I believer there is also profit to be made.

@ femain a, thanks for the link, I checked out the company, will get back on what I think

for those in the UK wishing to meet to discuss prospects in this area, I should be fully available in September 2011. I am currently neck deep in my business project which is looking at staffing strategies for health facilities in Nigeria (I might be away for a while gathering primary data). Meanwhile, we can use this forum to continue communicating.

I do appreciate all the comments guys.

@saokea, all the best in your MBA pursuits. I quite agree with your comment that doctors and other medics understand health needs better than "outsiders", however getting many medical personnel to think broader can be a bit of a challenge. There are however exceptions, people like yourself are now pursuing managerial led endeavours. This should be encouraged, especially in the context of Nigeria.

@ buzugee, healthcare consulting is the process of providing business, technical and managerial advise to health service organisations (providers of health related activities). It is important to note that healthcare is not just about the doctor-patient relationship. It is also a business, and like all businesses, needs to function in a manner favourable to the shareholders, staff and patients. A healthcare consultant can help in developing business ideas for the Health service organisation (HSO). He/she can also help the HSO develop among others, strategic management plans, operational management plans, human resources capability building plans, financial services plans, the list goes on and on.
Many HSOs make use of consultants (in the USA, they have a strong presence and appeal). They use them to help gain some favourable competitive advantage over other HSOs, or, simply to help improve on their services. You can get some more information on the internet.

As for management services, they function by providing contracted managerial support to HSOs.

To me, the major appeal factor in these two pursuits, is the need to always be abreast of current thinking and knowledge. I would liken this scenario to the Japanese word "Kaizen" meaning "continuous improvement". What this means is that to function in these capacities effectively, you must always plunge into the learning stream, because your clients will always demand your best. There is no fixed approach to how you support your client, as every situation and client is unique. You need to always be on top of your game. That said, it may be quite demanding, but, it is quite fulfilling, plus there is never a dull moment, as you work on different projects, thus, you are constantly stimulated.

I hope my comments helped throw more light on this area?

@ dae, if it is ok with u, I think we should leave the comments open, so that everyone can benefit.
@ laalamed, I quite agree with u on starting my own company, however as the saying goes " u must first learn to walk, before u can learn to run, " that said, I still hope to start my own company sometime in the future.
@ saokea, it is good u are planning to do an mba, may I suggest Wharton business school, it is in the USA. It has a fantastic MBA healthcare management programme. I myself did not attend it, thou I am planning to do a PHD in it in the near future. The MBA programme is pricey (u may research other financing options like scholarships), however if u have the funds, and want one of the best, I suggest u try the school.
@ sagewood, it is good u are planning to start ur own company. Healthcare management in Nigeria, and the rest of Africa hasn't been fully explored. We unfortunately tend to focus more on health program management, plus many hospitals in Nigeria tend to wing it when it comes to management. I wish u all the best in your endeavour.

May I also suggest we start a healthcare management stream in this forum; to discuss issues we experience as patients, and providers of health in Nigeria. Participators need not necessarily be researchers, and top tier managers, anybody who is interested in seeing healthcare provision in Nigeria improve can participate. This is just a thought guys, looking forward to suggestions.

Attending some of the prestigious schools like LBS can be pretty expensive, and as rightly put, the admission process is quite rigorous. My advice would be to settle for a school that has some form of notable accreditation (I believe LSBF hasn't any). the three most prominent accreditations are AMBA, AACSB & EFMD EQUIS.
LBS, Oxford and the rest of the high flyers are good, however it all boils down to what you make of your degree. That said it is still advisable to go for a renowned school (if u can get in plus afford it)
Another heads-up for the big league schools is that u must have good GMAT scores and work experience in managerial positions spanning 3 yrs and above. One final note, "what ever u do make sure the business school has AMBA accreditation" this must be ur basic requirement.

Thanks Ajanlekoko, I know about MSH, it is one of the top ten companies I would like to work in, I was supposed to do an internship with them, but they did not have any suitable programs that matched my business project idea, still planning to apply when I am done with my degree thou.
you seem quite knowledgeable, and thou I don't want to sound greedy, I would really appreciate more comments
Thanks once again

Thanks for the reply. As for the companies you guys mentioned, don't they specialise more in health insurance? I know about these companies (had some of them as clients when I worked back in Nigeria). I have not considered a career in health insurance, thou as I understand it can be quite stimulating. For now, I want to focus on healthcare consulting or management services. Maybe these HMOs also specialise in these areas, I don't know; if anyone provides more information about the range of services provided by these companies, I would be glad (so far, all I can dig up on them is their role in health insurance)
I am still looking forward to more replies, and once again thanks for the comments.

Hi everyone,
I will appreciate any information on private or public organisations in Nigeria that specialise in healthcare consulting/management services. I have checked it up on the internet to no avail. I am currently studying an MBA (healthcare management) in the UK, I also have a masters degree in public health also from a UK university. My undergraduate degree is medicine and surgery i.e. I am a doctor (trained in Nigeria). My work background is in healthcare delivery and management.
I really want to return home after my degree programme, to work in strengthening Nigeria's healthcare services in both public and private sectors. To achieve this I would like to work with a reputable Nigeria based organisation that specializes in this area.
Please guys, if any one has any helpful information, I will be immensely grateful