The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, on Wednesday told the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services that over 20 million Nigerians are now enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
This figure, he said, is up from 16.8 million in 2023.
Speaking during an interactive session with the committee at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Dr. Ohiri described the milestone as a significant step toward achieving the 2027 presidential target for universal health insurance coverage.
He highlighted progress made under the current leadership of the NHIA, including expanded coverage, enhanced service delivery, and efforts to resolve longstanding sectoral challenges.
According to him, the agency took several steps between 2024 and 2025 to address issues such as drug shortages, denial of care, and delays in service provision.
These interventions include revised tariffs, updated accreditation standards, enforcement of sanctions against non-compliant Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and providers, and the introduction of a one-hour deadline for issuing care authorisation codes.
Dr. Ohiri disclosed that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) currently supports about 2.67 million beneficiaries across the country, including 800,000 new enrollees added in 2025 alone.
He further noted that more than 7,500 women have benefited from the NHIA’s Fistula-Free Initiative and Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC) services as of May 2025.
Of that number, 2,690 women received obstetric fistula repairs at 17 dedicated centres, while 5,289 women accessed emergency obstetric services at over 200 facilities nationwide.
He said in a significant policy shift, the NHIA has also integrated donor-funded programmes into its health insurance platform. Pilot projects are currently underway in five states, providing insurance coverage for people living with HIV and tuberculosis patients.
The Director-General added that all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory now have functional State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIA), contributing to the widespread accessibility of health insurance across the country.
On complaints resolution, Dr. Ohiri said the agency resolved over 80 per cent of enrollees’ complaints in 2024, representing a 21 per cent improvement in response time.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Amos Magaji, stressed the importance of making health insurance services more effective and responsive to the needs of Nigerians.
He urged the NHIA to establish hotlines in health facilities under its coverage to allow beneficiaries to report service delivery issues.
Magaji also requested verifiable data on women who have benefited from the agency’s fistula-free and emergency obstetric care initiatives.
