The number of Nigerians with health insurance has increased from 19.2 million in 2024 to 21.7 million in 2025, representing about 13% of the national population.
This is according to the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report, marking a significant step towards expanding health coverage across the country.
The report, produced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in line with the National Health Act of 2014, offers a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s health sector progress under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach for coordinating health investments and reforms.
What the report is saying
The report highlights the Nigerian government’s commitment to implementing mandatory health insurance.
The government has also increased capitation and fee-for-service payments by 93% and 378%, respectively, to align with economic realities and ensure the sustainability of care.
- “The Basic Health Care Provision Fund 2.0, launched in October 2025, enrolled about 2.7 million Nigerians by the fourth quarter of the year,” the report noted.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has also signed memoranda of understanding with over 200 health facilities to improve access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) for vulnerable women.
The report further revealed that CEmONC services have reached 19,270 women nationwide, and 242 facilities were empanelled under the maternal health component.
Backstory
In 2024, President Bola Tinubu directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to implement mandatory health insurance, in line with the National Health Insurance Act (NHIA) 2022.
This directive aims to expand health coverage, safeguard workers, and reduce out-of-pocket spending on healthcare across the country.
The directive requires MDAs to enroll employees in the NHIA health insurance plan and present a valid NHIA Health Insurance Certificate for public procurement and issuing licenses or permits.
A digital platform was to be established for easy verification of Health Insurance Certificates, ensuring transparency and monitoring of compliance.
More insights
The report also highlighted Nigeria’s progress in health sector reforms in 2025, including training over 23,000 additional frontline health workers.
This brings the total number of trained workers in the past two years to 78,146, which represents 65% of the federal government’s target of 120,000 health workers.
These efforts are part of the government’s strategy to strengthen service delivery, especially at primary healthcare facilities.
What you should know
Despite progress in health coverage, rising costs for drugs and hospital consumables have reshaped Nigeria’s healthcare financing landscape.
- These increases, driven by inflation, surging import costs, and rising overheads, have forced hospitals to raise service tariffs and caused Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) to increase premiums significantly.
- Health insurance premiums between 2024 and 2025 have increased sharply, ranging from 8% on the lower end to 59% for top-tier plans, adding financial pressure on consumers.
The rise in premiums and adjustments in healthcare financing have highlighted the need for continued reforms to ensure that quality healthcare remains accessible to more Nigerians.
