Nigeria’s insurance enrolment hits 22 million, ranks 4th in Africa—Minister

Nigeria’s health sector reforms have recorded significant gains over the past three years, with health insurance enrolment rising from 16 million to 22 million Nigerians, while the country’s health system has climbed to fourth place in Africa.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the figures after co-chairing the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) on the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) alongside the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, in Abuja.

The meeting reviewed progress under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which is being implemented through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), and outlined measures to sustain ongoing reforms across the country.

What they are saying

According to Pate, Nigeria now ranks behind only South Africa, Tunisia and Kenya among African health systems, reflecting improvements driven by increased investments in primary healthcare, health insurance expansion and emergency medical services.

He also revealed that the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund has disbursed ₦235 billion in the last three years, representing nearly 70% of the N339 billion released since the intervention fund was established 12 years ago.

The minister said the accelerated funding under President Bola Tinubu’s administration has strengthened frontline healthcare delivery across the country.

• “The investments have enabled over 8,000 Primary Healthcare Centres to receive direct facility financing, expanded emergency medical services nationwide, strengthened disease surveillance and increased access to essential health services,” he said.

Pate disclosed that preliminary findings from the 2026 Mini Demographic and Health Survey (Mini-DHS) indicate encouraging improvements in several key health indicators.

According to him, the survey points to better performance in antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, childhood immunisation and child health outcomes, suggesting that recent investments are beginning to translate into measurable public health gains.

• He added that more than 48,000 women have received free comprehensive emergency obstetric care under the reforms, while emergency medical services have provided life-saving interventions to over 130,000 Nigerians.

The minister noted that expanding financial protection through health insurance remains a key pillar of the government’s universal health coverage agenda, with enrolment increasing by six million people over the last three years.

More insight

Beyond routine healthcare delivery, the Federal Government has also approved BHCPF-supported preparedness funding for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to improve readiness against potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks.

According to Pate, the intervention complements the work of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness and is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to detect, prevent and respond to emerging public health threats.

He urged state and local governments to meet their counterpart funding obligations under the BHCPF and address staffing shortages at primary healthcare facilities to sustain the progress already recorded.

What you should know

The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund is the Federal Government’s flagship financing mechanism for strengthening primary healthcare, expanding health insurance coverage, improving emergency medical services and enhancing health security.

Nairametrics earlier reported that Nigerians with health insurance had increased from 19.2 million in 2024 to 21.7 million in 2025, representing about 13% of the national population.

This was 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.