The federal government has announced plans to enrol at least 44 million Nigerians into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by 2030 as part of efforts to expand financial protection and reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, on Monday during the opening of a four-day National Health Financing Policy Dialogue in Abuja.
The event, which runs until September 4, has brought together health officials, development partners, civil society organisations, and private sector representatives to formulate strategies for sustainable health insurance financing in Nigeria.
Speaking at the dialogue, Mr. Salako said the government is implementing policies aimed at strengthening domestic health financing and protecting vulnerable populations.
“The government has consistently funded the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and introduced emergency allocations to cushion the suspension of foreign aid,” he said.
He added that the ministry is considering legislation to increase the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from one to two per cent of consolidated revenue and reiterated the target to enrol 44 million Nigerians in the NHIS by 2030.
“A key delivery of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare under the Presidential Performance Bond is to enrol at least 44 million Nigerians into the National Health Insurance by 2030, so that we can reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health, which currently remains at about 70 per cent,” he said.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, highlighted challenges resulting from years of underinvestment in the health sector.
