Pate: 10m Nigerians benefitted from healthcare fund in one year

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, says the government has made significant progress in its efforts to strengthen primary healthcare and expand health insurance coverage across the country.

Pate spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the 9th basic health care provision fund (BHCPF) meeting.

The minister said more than 10 million Nigerians have benefited from BHCPF-supported primary healthcare services in the past year.

Pate also announced that more than 2.4 million Nigerians have been newly enrolled in the health insurance scheme, raising the number of insured citizens to 18.6 million.

“This is a significant step towards achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria,” NAN quoted the minister as saying.

“We are making steady progress and are committed to achieving even greater results in the coming year.”

The minister noted that accountability is important in managing the BHCPF fund.

He urged Nigerians to monitor the resources allocated to healthcare facilities in their communities and report any discrepancies.

“Every penny disbursed must translate into quality healthcare services,” he said.

Kelechi Ohiri, director-general of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), said health insurance enrollment has increased.

Ohiri said enrollees had risen from 16.7 million in 2023 to 19.2 million as of November 2024.

He also projected that the number would exceed 20 million by the end of the year.

Ohiri said the BHCPF now covers 2.6 million Nigerians, ensuring access to affordable healthcare for the poorest and most vulnerable populations.

He identified low awareness of health insurance and rising healthcare costs as key challenges.

“To address these issues, we’ve increased capitation by 60 percent and fee-for-service payments by 40 percent to ensure providers can deliver quality care,” he said.