President Bola Tinubu has directed the full implementation of compulsory health insurance across all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in line with the provisions of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, 2022. The directive was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The NHIA Act mandates compulsory health insurance for all Nigerians and empowers the Authority to expand health coverage nationwide. Tinubu, in his directive, instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to issue a service-wide circular to MDAs, while also calling for constructive engagement with the private sector to ensure businesses are not unduly constrained in complying with the law.
Onanuga outlined five key elements of the directive:
- Employee Enrolment: All MDAs must enrol their staff under the NHIA insurance plan, with the option of supplementary private coverage.
- Procurement Compliance: Any entity participating in public procurement must present a valid NHIA-issued Health Insurance Certificate as part of eligibility requirements.
- Licenses and Approvals: MDAs must require applicants to present valid NHIA Health Insurance Certificates before issuing or renewing licenses, permits, and other official approvals.
- Digital Verification: The NHIA will establish an electronic platform to verify Health Insurance Certificates, ensuring transparency and accessibility.
- Internal Monitoring: MDAs are mandated to work with NHIA to develop internal procedures for verifying certificates and ensuring compliance.
Tinubu emphasised that the reforms are designed to entrench accountability and broaden access to healthcare, while ensuring the NHIA Act is fully operationalised.
