By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate has inaugurated the Governing Council of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), setting the stage for accelerated progress toward universal health coverage in Nigeria.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held in the Conference Room of the ministry on Friday, the minister described the newly appointed members as qualified and capable. He noted that the Council Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe is well suited for the role, having played a pivotal role in the development of health insurance legislation in Nigeria.
The Minister emphasized that the collective expertise of the board members would be crucial in propelling the Authority to new heights.
While acknowledging the challenges on the path of achieving universal health coverage, Pate urged the Council to build on the significant progress made over the last year and a half under NHIA’s current management which includes the reviewed tariffs for healthcare providers and accelerated support for vulnerable groups under health insurance.
The newly appointed Chairman, in his remarks, expressed gratitude and recalled his personal contributions to health-related legislation during his time in the National Assembly. He noted that the NHIA Act was one of four key bills he sponsored, alongside the Mental Health Act, the amendment of the Psychiatric Hospitals Act (which led to a neuro psychiatric hospital in Kwara State), and the bill establishing the Federal College of Alternative & Complementary Medicine.
He assured stakeholders that the board would commit fully to its duties and serve the country with diligence and integrity.
On his part, NHIA Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, called attention to the shared responsibility of building a strong health system. He stressed that achieving universal health coverage requires more than government effort, but needs the active involvement of all stakeholders across sectors.
The NHIA boss encouraged collaboration among public institutions, the private sector, development partners, and communities to build an inclusive, resilient, and equitable healthcare system for all Nigerians.
The inauguration comes at a time of sustained progress by the NHIA under its current management. Recent achievements include: 20 million Nigerians now enrolled in health insurance up from 16.8 million in 2023, putting the country on track to exceed the 2027 presidential target, 2.67 million Nigerians supported through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), with over 800,000 new enrollees in 2025.
Others are over 7,500 women have received care through maternal health interventions, including obstetric fistula repairs and access to emergency obstetric services across 200+ facilities, integration of HIV and TB services into health insurance through pilot programs in five states, the first of its kind under the NHIA framework, a newly implemented 1-hour referral code policy, reducing delays and ensuring faster service authorization.
Also achieved are, health insurance schemes now active in all 36 states and the FCT, enabling broader, community-level access, a major tariff review (the first in over a decade), increasing provider payments by 93% (capitation) and 378% (fee-for-service) to improve care quality.
More so, over 80% of beneficiary complaints resolved in 2024, a 21% increase in responsiveness from the previous year.
Others include, upgraded systems, digitalized accreditation, and new partnerships with SafeCare and SQHN aimed at improving the quality of care.
With a reinvigorated Council now in place, NHIA is better positioned to deepen reforms and scale impact further aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration, which prioritizes accessible, equitable, and efficient healthcare for all Nigerians.
