More than 22 million Nigerians have enrolled in health insurance under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), reflecting growing adoption of the country’s mandatory health insurance scheme, the agency has said.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Director General of NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, disclosed this during the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Ohiri said health insurance enrolment had reached 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year on year increase. He attributed the growth to stronger collaboration with State Social Health Insurance Agencies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, organised labour, employers, the private sector and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions contained in the NHIA Act.
He said the country had moved beyond policy formulation and was now delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the Federal Government’s health sector reform agenda.
According to him, Nigeria already has the policies and legal framework needed to achieve Universal Health Coverage, but effective implementation remains the major challenge.
“The decisive variable is now implementation, consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.
Ohiri explained that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing a stronger legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that improving the experience of enrollees remains a key priority for the authority. To achieve this, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster complaint resolution timelines and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations and healthcare providers.
The NHIA chief said the authority had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, with 95 per cent of the cases concluded within the prescribed timelines. He added that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while healthcare facilities that failed to meet required standards had been sanctioned.
Ohiri also disclosed that the authority had introduced service standards, including a one hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent medical attention, to improve timely access to quality healthcare.
He said capitation payments to healthcare providers had increased by 93 per cent, while fee for service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent, enabling healthcare providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.
Ohiri further highlighted interventions aimed at supporting vulnerable groups, including assistance for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved healthcare access for pensioners and retirees.
He stressed that Universal Health Coverage can only be achieved when every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, has access to quality healthcare services.
According to Ohiri, the authority’s ongoing reforms are aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the health sector reform programme being coordinated by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.
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