The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has signed two agreements with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the SERVICOM Office to strengthen collaboration for data-driven decision-making and improved service delivery.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Director General of NHIA, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, reiterated the importance of accurate data in ensuring Universal Health Coverage for Nigerians.
He said, “It is often said that anything that matters is measured, and anything that is measured matters. Our work in NHIA is critical because it profoundly affects lives and every household.
“Our mission is to bring Nigerians out of health poverty and ensure they have financial access to health. And it is therefore imperative that we have very credible frameworks for not just assessing the impact of what we’re doing on the lives of the average Nigerian, but that this is consistently measured and brought to the fore in our daily discourse in national developments.”
Statistician General/CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics, Adeyemi Adeniran, highlighted the importance of the collaboration.
“This integration will allow us to measure the true impact of health insurance on equity, poverty reduction, and accessibility to affordable and quality health care for the Nigerian citizens. Not only this, we’re also going to be working together to advance research analysis that will help us achieve our mandate.”
He further emphasised NBS’s commitment to ethical data management and transparency, adding:
“As the custodian of official statistics, NBS reaffirms its unwavering commitment to data privacy, confidentiality, and integrity throughout the collaboration. We adhere to the highest ethical and statistical standards and guarantee that the public and our development partners can trust the resulting figures.”
The partnership underscores the three institutions’ shared commitment to advancing evidence-based planning, enhancing accountability, and promoting citizen-centred service delivery, ultimately contributing to Nigeria’s efforts toward achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
