Over 11 million Nigerians are now enrolled in state-run health insurance schemes, signaling significant progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as state health agencies strategised the next phase of implementation.
Stakeholders, who converged at the second quarterly meeting of the Forum of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs), held in Lagos, reaffirmed their resolve to close coverage gaps and onboard more Nigerians, particularly civil servants, informal workers, and the vulnerable.
The meeting, saw the reelection of the managing director of the Anambra State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Simeon Onyemeachi, as chairman of the Forum for another two-year term.
Addressing his peers after the vote, Onyemeachi emphasised that while the progress of enrolling over 11 million Nigerians is commendable, the journey to full UHC by 2030 remains unfinished. “We have seen tremendous progress, but to achieve UHC, every state must engage fully. No one must be left behind,” he said.
He stressed that the twin pillars of achieving UHC lie in expanding social health insurance and strengthening primary healthcare systems. Onyemeachi also called on state governments to integrate social protection initiatives, such as conditional cash transfers, into health insurance funding for vulnerable groups.
Despite notable gains, he expressed concern that six states have yet to onboard their civil servants into state schemes. “This signals a lack of belief in their own systems,” he said, urging those states to lead by example in demonstrating the value of public health insurance.
The Forum of CEOs of SSHIAs, which promotes collaboration and peer learning, has become a powerful driver of innovation and policy alignment in Nigeria’s health insurance landscape. According to Dr. Onyemeachi, one of the forum’s strengths is its ability to facilitate the transfer of best practices across states, enabling agencies to scale up more efficiently and avoid common implementation pitfalls. “All 36 states now have functional health insurance agencies reaching rural communities and advancing equity through subsidized premiums,” he added.
Publicity secretary of the Forum and permanent secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, highlighted Lagos state’s progress since establishing its agency. She noted that the state has grown its coverage by six percent in seven years through affordable premiums, equity-based funding, and federal support via the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). “Social health insurance is about expanding access for those previously left out—informal workers, SMEs, and the vulnerable. With the new National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act making state-level health insurance mandatory, there’s no room for delay. Every state must scale enrollment now,” Zamba said.
The election of new executives during the meeting was described as transparent and participatory. CEO of the Kebbi State Health Insurance Agency and head of the electoral committee, Dr. Jafar Augie Mohammed, commended the professionalism of the process. “We ensured a free and fair election guided by the forum’s constitution. The leadership elected today reflects the collective vision of our states,” Dr. Mohammed said.
He added that since 2015, over 10 million Nigerians have been added to the health insurance pool through state efforts, illustrating the steady institutionalization of health insurance at the subnational level.
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