NHIA Seeks to Boost Access to Health Insurance for Nigerians

James Emejo in Abuja

Director-General/Chief Executive, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, said it committed to developing strategies to drive the enrollment of health insurance across all schemes and ensuring a standardised and consistent minimum benefit for Nigerians.

He said under his watch, NHIA will sustain current momentum to boost low enrolment and focus on delivering impactful outcomes for Nigerians in line with the mandate of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

Speaking at a senior management retreat organised by the authority in Abuja, Ohiri said the NHIA would continue to work towards expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare accessibility for all Nigerians.

He said the outcomes of the strategic engagement are expected to shape the organisation’s future initiatives and drive positive change in the healthcare sector.

He further discussed the emerging vision, strategy, and key priorities of the authority in line with the President Bola Tinubu’s mandate.

The NHIA boss, however, highlighted the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving organisational goals, emphasising the need to recognise and appreciate support from various departments and individuals.

He also underscored the commitment to quarterly strategic meetings to reflect on progress and adapt strategies as needed.

Ohiri emphasised the importance of execution and adaptability in achieving set goals while acknowledging challenges but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to overcome them.

The meeting sought to devise strategies for boosting the current low enrollment level for national health insurance to meet targets as well as enhance the country’s overall health indices – and to set the tone for NHIA’s future direction, focusing on key priorities to achieve Tinubu’s mandate for the organisation.

The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate had announced that 750,000 more Nigerians have been registered for health insurance since the advent of the Tinubu administration. The target was to have 50 million Nigerians enrolled by 2027.