The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health on Monday announced plans to enroll no fewer than 44 million Nigerians into the national health insurance scheme by 2030.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, announced this at the opening of the national health financing policy dialogue themed “Reimagining the future of health financing in Nigeria,” in Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power.
The four-day policy dialogue brings together policymakers, development partners, health financing experts, civil society, the private sector, academia, and health insurance representatives to chart a clear path toward stronger and more resilient health financing systems.
Salako, who said that the plan will help to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health, also explained that President Bola Tinubu is committed to strengthening health financing by boosting domestic resources and reducing dependency on external aid.
According to him, Nigeria’s total health expenditure as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product has risen from 3.4 per cent in 2013 to 5.03 per cent in 2024.
“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare remains committed to evolving legislation, regulations and policies that will ensure effective implementation. Key among these is the National Health Insurance Act of 2022, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and seeks to significantly expand coverage beyond the previous five per cent of the population. The Act also established the Vulnerable Group Fund to cater for those unable to afford premiums.
“Similarly, the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, instituted by the 2014 National Health Act, allocates one per cent of consolidated federal revenue to provide quality healthcare for the poor and vulnerable, serving as a key vehicle for implementing the Vulnerable Group Fund. The Ministry is considering approaching the National Assembly to increase BHCPF funding from the current one per cent to at least two per cent of consolidated revenue.
“Under the Presidential Performance Agreement we signed, a key deliverable for the Ministry is to enrol at least 44 million Nigerians into the national health insurance scheme by 2030. This will help reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health, which currently stands at an unacceptably high rate of about 70 per cent. We remain focused on strengthening the framework, expanding coverage, ensuring sustainability, and addressing persistent challenges such as inadequate budgetary allocations, systemic inefficiencies, fragmented programming, and limited reliable data,” he stated.
The minister reiterated government commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian has access to quality healthcare without financial hardship.
