President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Kelechi Ohiri, has stated that he would ensure the coverage of more Nigerians under health insurance.
Ohiri made this known on Tuesday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja during his screening by the Senate Committee on Health.
In his presentation, the nominee stated that it was indeed true that very few Nigerians had financial protection from the cost of health care.
“The numbers we have show that less than seven per cent of Nigerians are protected and covered.
“These numbers have been under 10 per cent since inception. It is quite low, and it is something we need to improve upon if Nigeria is to be on the path of universal health care coverage.”
He noted that there were many reasons as to why these numbers were low, including the policy framework, the issue of awareness, and the issue of trust.
“Health insurance has been one of the many things that the government has introduced to improve access to care, and as such, it was voluntary.
“With the passage of the NHIA Act in 2022, health insurance is now mandatory.
“For insurance to work, that mandate is a critical part of actually driving and improving coverage.”
Ohiri stated that indeed, there was little awareness of health insurance as a veritable tool for financial protection.
“Some of it is cultural, and some of it requires more work and effort on our part to educate fellow Nigerians on this.
“We have about 70 per cent of Nigerians who still pay for care out of pocket or privately, and this means that they are vulnerable to the shocks, they are vulnerable to the rising cost of health care.
“Bringing a lot of these under the umbrella of health insurance will enable us to increase coverage,” he said.
Ohiri added that there were some Nigerians who did not have the means, the premiums that were required for insurance.
“This is where interventions come in, such as the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and recently, the Vulnerable Group Fund.
“These are three fundamental things we need to address to begin to increase the coverage of health insurance.”
Earlier, the chairperson of the committee, Senator Banigo Ipalibo, asked the nominee how he proposed to get the exact numbers of people covered by health insurance in both the formal and informal sectors.
She stated that, without gainsaying, health insurance was the way to go, saying it would reduce out-of-pocket expenses for citizens.
Ipalibo urged the nominee to ensure that the vulnerable group fund was utilised effectively and how it could really touch the lives of children under five years, pregnant women, and the elderly above 60.
