Joy Agwunobi
Recognising the urgent need for affordable healthcare, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA)has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the nation’s health system by expanding enrollment in the National Health Insurance Scheme.
By 2025, the NHIA plans to bring over 20 million Nigerians under the health insurance scheme, marking a critical step toward achieving universal health coverage. Currently covering 16.7 million beneficiaries, the agency aims to increase this figure to 19.2 million within 13 months, a 14 per cent growth in enrollment.
Kelechi Ohiri, the director general of NHIA, disclosed these targets during a recent event in Abuja. He highlighted the strides made under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which has already extended health insurance to 2.4 million vulnerable Nigerians.
According to him, the NHIA has revised its minimum basic benefit package to include unmet needs for family planning, while also integrating critical services such as HIV and tuberculosis treatment, as well as nutrition, into its health insurance offerings.
“These measures address the high rates of malnutrition and disease prevalence across the country,” Ohiri stated.
Ohiri emphasised the agency’s commitment to building on its achievements, setting the stage for even more progress in the coming years. “We have achieved a lot this year and aim to increase enrollment significantly by next year. While we are confident of meeting our target of 20 million enrollees, we intend to exceed this milestone, provided we secure essential support such as enforcement of our mandate and heightened public awareness,” he said.
He underscored the importance of collaboration, adding, “We cannot achieve this alone. Public and stakeholder support is vital to making health insurance accessible to all Nigerians.”
Ohiri also highlighted the NHIA’s focus on vulnerable groups, unveiling a comprehensive program targeting women to ensure access to critical healthcare services. “For women facing obstetric complications who cannot afford treatment, the NHIA will ensure cost is not a barrier. Treatment will be provided, with the agency covering the expenses,” he explained.
This program incorporates family planning services and ensures discharged patients are enrolled in health insurance, enabling them to access future healthcare without financial constraints.
The NHIA, in collaboration with other agencies, is actively working to enforce its mandate, with a focus on improving health coverage, equity, quality, and efficiency. Ohiri acknowledged the challenges in enforcing mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians, as stipulated by the 2022 NHIA Act, but stressed the importance of a unified approach.
“It requires a whole-of-government approach. A committee has been established to operationalise this mandate, and discussions are ongoing with key offices, including the attorney general of the federation and the secretary to the government of the federation, to develop actionable directives,” he said.
Ohiri clarified that the enforcement process would prioritize education and dialogue rather than penalisation. “We aim to educate citizens on the advantages of health insurance. It is not about criminalising those who cannot afford it but ensuring the system works for their benefit. Our focus is to make health insurance a tool for financial protection and equitable access to healthcare,” he explained.
The NHIA is also piloting a branded drugs initiative to ensure the availability of affordable and high-quality medications. “We are evaluating the sustainability of this initiative to guarantee that drugs are accessible to all enrollees,” Ohiri added.
In addressing healthcare complaints, Adebayo Abdulhamid, NHIA’s Director of Enforcement, reported that the agency received 2,591 complaints in total. Of these, 1,678 were directed against healthcare facilities, while 913 involved Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs).
“We achieved an 82 per cent complaint resolution rate and an 85 per cent timeline compliance rate for resolutions,” Abdulhamid revealed, reflecting the authority’s commitment to improving accountability and service delivery.
