The Federal Government has unveiled plans to enroll 44 million Nigerians into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by 2030 to curb high out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to citizens’ health through innovative and sustainable financing.
Dr. Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this on Monday at the opening of the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to deliberate on ways to reshape the nation’s health financing landscape.
Salako emphasized that the dialogue was not just about discussions but a crucial moment to turn commitments into actionable strategies and inspiring outcomes that will guide future policy and implementation.
Reimagining health financing for universal coverage
He explained that the theme, “Reimagining a New Era of Health Financing,” reflects Nigeria’s aspiration for enhanced domestic and sustainable financing in the quest for universal health coverage.
Salako noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made it clear that Nigeria must strengthen health financing by boosting domestic resources and reducing dependency on external aid.
“The President has continued to emphasize that a strong health system is vital for national growth and has therefore directed the implementation of several interconnected policies to achieve universal health coverage and protect Nigerians,” he said.
Rising budgetary allocations, but still below the benchmark
The minister highlighted a steady rise in health funding: from N434 billion in 2018 to N1.2 trillion in 2021. The proposed N2.48 trillion allocation for 2025, he said, represents 5.18% of the federal budget, more than double the 2021 figure, but still far below the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark.
Salako added that the National Assembly augmented the 2024 health budget by N300 billion in response to the suspension of U.S. aid, while subnational governments have also raised their allocations. Overall, total health expenditure as a share of GDP rose from 3.4% in 2013 to 5.03% in 2024.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the National Health Insurance Act of 2012, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and establishes the Vulnerable Group Fund for citizens unable to afford premiums.
He explained that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), created under the 2014 National Health Act and funded by 1% of consolidated revenue, remains central to supporting the poor and vulnerable. Plans are underway to approach the National Assembly to raise this allocation to at least 2%.
“Under the Presidential Performance Agreement we signed, a key deliverable for the Ministry is to enroll 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%.
“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,” Salako stated.
More insights
The minister stressed that Nigeria must learn from countries such as Ghana, where political commitment, innovative funding, strong legal frameworks, and decentralized implementation have delivered stronger health outcomes.
He urged stakeholders to actively exchange ideas in technical sessions, share best practices, and forge partnerships that will translate aspirations into concrete health sector reforms.
Salako emphasized that the ultimate objective is to build a financing framework that is sustainable, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring every Nigerian can access quality healthcare without financial hardship.
What You Should Know
Recall that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) announced that it has surpassed the 2024 presidential target for health insurance enrollment and is now set to increase growth coverage by an additional 20% in 2025.
The 2024 target was designed to be achieved within the four-year tenure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“There is an increase in the total number of enrollees from 16.7 million to 19.2 million Nigerians, an impressive 14% growth in less than a year,” Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General of NHIA.
Nairametrics previously reported that the NHIA has enrolled two million Nigerians in health insurance programmes at the federal and state levels within the first nine months of 2024.
