The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, has announced that over 20 million Nigerians are now enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Speaking during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Wednesday, Ohiri said the figure, up from 16.8 million in 2023, puts Nigeria on track to exceed the 2027 presidential target for universal health coverage.
He highlighted the agency’s recent efforts to expand coverage, enhance service delivery, and tackle long-standing challenges in the health sector.
Dr. Ohiri explained that between 2024 and 2025, the NHIA introduced key measures to address drug shortages, denial of care, and service delays. These include tariff revisions, updated accreditation standards, sanctions for non-compliant Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and providers, and a one-hour deadline for issuing care authorisation codes.
He further disclosed that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund currently supports about 2.67 million beneficiaries nationwide, with 800,000 newly enrolled in 2025 alone.
As of May 2025, over 7,500 women have benefitted from the agency’s Fistula-Free Initiative and Emergency Obstetric Care services. This includes 2,690 women who received obstetric fistula repairs at 17 dedicated centres and 5,289 women who accessed emergency obstetric services at over 200 facilities.
The NHIA has also integrated donor-funded programmes into its insurance coverage for the first time, with pilot schemes in five states now providing health insurance to people living with HIV and tuberculosis patients.
“Health insurance access has expanded nationwide, with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory now operating functional State Social Health Insurance Agencies,” Ohiri said.
On complaints resolution, the NHIA DG noted that over 80% of enrollees’ complaints were resolved in 2024, reflecting a 21% improvement in response time.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Amos Magaji, stressed the importance of effective health insurance services for Nigerians. He urged the DG to establish hotlines across covered health facilities for enrollees to report service delivery issues and asked for verifiable data on women who have benefitted from the agency’s fistula and emergency obstetric care programmes.
ADEOLA KUNLE
