Good hospital administration is essential for quality healthcare, especially in Nigeria where resources are limited. Administrators need leadership, management, technical, and people skills to coordinate resources and improve patient care. However, many Nigerian hospitals continue to face challenges related to inadequate administrative capacity, inefficient resource management, workforce shortages, and increasing demands for quality healthcare services.

This paper examines the core competencies required for effective and efficient hospital administrators in Nigeria and discusses their implications for quality healthcare delivery which includes: leadership competence, communication and interpersonal competence, financial management competence, human resources management competence, decision making competence, quality improvement and patient care competence, digital health and health information competence, ethical and professional competence, change management competence, risk and crisis competence, emotional intelligence competence, stakeholders and community engagement competence.

The paper concludes to make real and lasting progress in healthcare in Nigeria, it is important to focus on developing strong leadership skills in hospital administrators. Government agencies, healthcare organizations, professional groups, and training centers should support ongoing education, mentorship, and training programs that give current and future administrators the knowledge and skills they need to lead today’s healthcare organizations well. Investing in these areas can help support lasting health system reforms and improve healthcare quality in Nigeria.

Keywords: Hospital administration, hospital administrators, core competencies, healthcare management, quality healthcare delivery.