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Millions of Nigerians risk being pushed into deeper poverty by the rising financial burden of healthcare, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, has warned, stressing the need to expand health insurance coverage and protect patients from excessive out-of-pocket spending.
Ohiri gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja during a joint quarterly press briefing with the Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, where he outlined measures to make healthcare more affordable and strengthen accountability among service providers.
“Many Nigerians are just one sickness away from being plunged into poverty because of the catastrophic cost of healthcare. Hence, health insurance remained a critical intervention for shielding households from the financial consequences of illness, particularly poor and vulnerable Nigerians who might struggle to pay for treatment when medical emergencies arise,” he said.
According to him, the NHIA has increased health insurance coverage by 42 per cent, from approximately 16 million Nigerians in January 2024 to 23.02 million, including 3.18 million poor and vulnerable people whose premiums are funded by the government.
Despite the increase, Ohiri said the authority was strengthening enforcement against hospitals and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) that deny enrollees covered services or impose improper charges.
He disclosed that the NHIA had resolved 87 per cent of enrollee complaints within 48 hours, while enforcement measures had resulted in refunds to wrongly charged patients, the delisting of some healthcare facilities and sanctions against HMOs.
“Complaints are good because once people stop complaining, it means they have lost faith in the system,” he said.
Ohiri said the authority was determined to ensure that Nigerians received the services covered by their insurance plans without being forced to pay additional charges for treatments to which they were entitled.
He added that the NHIA had doubled capitation payments and increased fee-for-service reimbursements by 373 per cent from April 1, 2025, following a review of tariffs that had remained unchanged for a decade.
The adjustments, he explained, were intended to improve healthcare providers’ capacity to deliver quality services and strengthen the sustainability of the health insurance system.
However, the affordability challenge extends beyond insurance coverage to the availability and functionality of healthcare facilities, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
The NHIA boss said the ultimate objective is to ensure that illness does not become a financial disaster for Nigerian families, with effective health insurance, responsible billing practices and improved healthcare delivery serving as important safeguards against impoverishment.
On his side, Aina disclosed at the briefing that only 53 per cent of Nigeria’s approximately 27,000 technically active Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) were functional at Level 1 or Level 2.
He said 4,434 PHCs had been renovated or were undergoing refurbishment but stressed that infrastructure improvements must be supported by adequate staffing, maintenance and operational funding.
According to him, the Federal Government has approved an additional N40 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), with the number of beneficiary facilities expected to increase from 8,300 to 13,512.
Aina said facilities benefiting from the programme serve at least four times as many patients per facility as those outside it, underscoring the importance of sustained funding for frontline healthcare delivery.
He, however, maintained that state and local governments must take responsibility for operating and maintaining primary healthcare facilities, noting that federal interventions were not intended to replace their statutory responsibilities.
The two officials called for stronger collaboration among governments, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to ensure that increased funding and expanded insurance coverage translate into accessible, affordable and reliable services.
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Millions of Nigerians risk being pushed into deeper poverty by the rising financial burden of healthcare, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, has warned, stressing the need to expand health insurance coverage and protect patients from excessive out-of-pocket spending.
Ohiri gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja during a joint quarterly press briefing with the Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, where he outlined measures to make healthcare more affordable and strengthen accountability among service providers.
“Many Nigerians are just one sickness away from being plunged into poverty because of the catastrophic cost of healthcare. Hence, health insurance remained a critical intervention for shielding households from the financial consequences of illness, particularly poor and vulnerable Nigerians who might struggle to pay for treatment when medical emergencies arise,” he said.
According to him, the NHIA has increased health insurance coverage by 42 per cent, from approximately 16 million Nigerians in January 2024 to 23.02 million, including 3.18 million poor and vulnerable people whose premiums are funded by the government.
Despite the increase, Ohiri said the authority was strengthening enforcement against hospitals and Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) that deny enrollees covered services or impose improper charges.
He disclosed that the NHIA had resolved 87 per cent of enrollee complaints within 48 hours, while enforcement measures had resulted in refunds to wrongly charged patients, the delisting of some healthcare facilities and sanctions against HMOs.
“Complaints are good because once people stop complaining, it means they have lost faith in the system,” he said.
Ohiri said the authority was determined to ensure that Nigerians received the services covered by their insurance plans without being forced to pay additional charges for treatments to which they were entitled.
He added that the NHIA had doubled capitation payments and increased fee-for-service reimbursements by 373 per cent from April 1, 2025, following a review of tariffs that had remained unchanged for a decade.
The adjustments, he explained, were intended to improve healthcare providers’ capacity to deliver quality services and strengthen the sustainability of the health insurance system.
However, the affordability challenge extends beyond insurance coverage to the availability and functionality of healthcare facilities, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
The NHIA boss said the ultimate objective is to ensure that illness does not become a financial disaster for Nigerian families, with effective health insurance, responsible billing practices and improved healthcare delivery serving as important safeguards against impoverishment.
On his side, Aina disclosed at the briefing that only 53 per cent of Nigeria’s approximately 27,000 technically active Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) were functional at Level 1 or Level 2.
He said 4,434 PHCs had been renovated or were undergoing refurbishment but stressed that infrastructure improvements must be supported by adequate staffing, maintenance and operational funding.
According to him, the Federal Government has approved an additional N40 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), with the number of beneficiary facilities expected to increase from 8,300 to 13,512.
Aina said facilities benefiting from the programme serve at least four times as many patients per facility as those outside it, underscoring the importance of sustained funding for frontline healthcare delivery.
He, however, maintained that state and local governments must take responsibility for operating and maintaining primary healthcare facilities, noting that federal interventions were not intended to replace their statutory responsibilities.
The two officials called for stronger collaboration among governments, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to ensure that increased funding and expanded insurance coverage translate into accessible, affordable and reliable services.
