19.2m Nigerians Covered By Health Insurance – NHIA

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has said that enrollment into the country’s health insurance scheme has increased from 16.7 million to 19.2 million people in less than one year, surpassing the presidential target for 2024.

Director-general of NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja, also said that the authority has set a goal to reach 20 million enrollees by 2025, with a focus on including pensioners and the elderly in the health insurance scheme.

Dr. Ohiri said that that authority was also expanding its benefit package to cover critical needs such as family planning, HIV and tuberculosis treatments, cancer care, diabetes, hypertension, and nutrition.

He highlighted the agency’s efforts to improve access to maternal and emergency obstetric care in over 100 facilities nationwide and its partnerships with the National Pension Commission to extend coverage to retirees.

The DG also disclosed that the NHIA has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 11 hospitals to implement its programmes. Efforts are underway to scale up these initiatives across all federal teaching hospitals in collaboration with state health commissioners, he added.

He said that the authority has also made remarkable progress in its Fistula Treatment Program, with 22 hospitals participating and over 1,000 women receiving either surgical or conservative treatment.

Dr. Ohiri emphasised that payments for these treatments are directly verified by independent third-party administrators to ensure accountability.

“Our equity mandate ensures that the poor and underserved communities benefit from our programs. We are not just building a scheme; we are building an authority that redefines healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Every reform we implement revolves around the patient’s needs,” Dr. Ohiri stated.