The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, has announced that over 20 million Nigerians are now enrolled under the national health insurance scheme, marking a significant stride toward achieving the country’s goal of universal health coverage by 2027.
Dr. Ohiri disclosed the updated enrolment figures during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. The current enrolment reflects a substantial increase from 16.8 million in 2023, positioning the country to exceed the presidential target well ahead of schedule.
Highlighting recent achievements, the NHIA boss outlined a range of reforms and interventions undertaken between 2024 and 2025 to enhance healthcare delivery and address long-standing challenges, including drug stockouts, care denials, and delayed service authorisation.
Key measures introduced include the revision of tariffs, implementation of new accreditation standards, enforcement of sanctions on non-compliant Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and service providers, and the rollout of a one-hour turnaround time for issuing care authorisation codes.
Dr. Ohiri also revealed that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) currently supports approximately 2.67 million beneficiaries nationwide, including 800,000 new enrollees added in 2025 alone.
He further highlighted the impact of NHIA’s maternal health initiatives. As of May 2025, over 7,500 women have accessed support through the agency’s Fistula-Free Initiative and Emergency Obstetric Care programme. Of this number, 2,690 women received obstetric fistula repair services across 17 specialised centres, while 5,289 others accessed emergency obstetric care at over 200 designated health facilities nationwide.
In a first for the agency, Dr. Ohiri announced the integration of donor-funded health programmes into the NHIA coverage framework. Pilot projects are currently operational in five states, offering health insurance to people living with HIV and tuberculosis patients.
Nationwide access to health insurance has also broadened, with all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory now operating functional State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIA), further decentralising access to care.
On consumer satisfaction, the NHIA chief noted a marked improvement in complaint resolution efficiency. Over 80 per cent of enrollee complaints were addressed in 2024, reflecting a 21 per cent improvement in turnaround time compared to the previous year.
In his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Amos Magaji, commended the agency’s progress and urged continued efforts to ensure health insurance services are accessible and responsive to public needs. He called for the deployment of complaint hotlines in all health facilities under the NHIA network and requested verifiable data on beneficiaries of the agency’s maternal health initiatives, including the Fistula-Free and Emergency Obstetric Care programmes.
The session concluded with a shared commitment between lawmakers and the NHIA to further strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and ensure that quality, affordable health services reach every Nigerian.
