The Federal Government has raised healthcare insurance enrollment to cover about 20 million Nigerians, and is working to reach 44 million citizens by 2030.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, disclosed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, noting that the development reflects President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the country’s steady progress toward universal health coverage.

While providing an update on Nigeria’s progress in expanding access to quality and affordable health insurance, he said in 2024, Nigeria broke its enrollment record with more than 2.4m new people insured, bringing total coverage to about 20m Nigerians.

He noted that the new healthcare policy is the surest path to reducing out-of-pocket expenditure, which still represents about 70% of total health spending.

Social health insurance schemes now account for 90% of all enrollments nationwide, he added.

“A major constraint in care quality has been the low capitation fee for enrollees. For years, the capitation stood at N750 per person. We have doubled it to N1,450 to ensure providers are properly equipped to deliver consistent, high-quality care. Fee-for-service rates have also been increased by 380%, based on actuarial evidence aligning cost-reflective rates with quality requirements.

“The Federal Government has also introduced the One Hour Referral Authorization Code, issued by the insuring entity to the provider to confirm referral approval. By shortening this process to 1 hour, we are eliminating unnecessary delays and ensuring that patients move quickly from primary to specialist care”, the statement read in part.

He explained that to strengthen accountability, he has directed the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to commence covert mystery shopping to monitor providers and ensure that enrollees are not denied treatment.

“Undercover monitors are already observing processes in facilities nationwide to ensure that insured Nigerians receive timely and dignified care.

“The evidence is clear. From fewer than 10m hospital visits in all of 2023, more than 46m visits were recorded by the second quarter of 2025.

“Out-of-pocket payments remain the dominant source of health care expenditure for most of our people, translating into higher costs and lower standards of accountability for providers.

“ When the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare signed the Renewed Hope Ministerial Performance Monitoring Bond with its detailed key performance indicators, we set ambitious 2030 targets that are now within reach, one of which is national health insurance coverage.

“Under the leadership of Mr President, all macroeconomic reform and cross-sectoral policy direction are driven by one objective: ensuring that every Nigerian can actualize their aspirations while accessing affordable, quality care.

“This people-centred approach defines the comprehensive reforms now reshaping our health sector. As we modernise infrastructure across primary, secondary, and tertiary facilities in all local government areas, our record-breaking progress in national health insurance enrollment is aligning demand with Nigeria’s rapidly expanding supply of human resources and infrastructure.”

He revealed that nearly 120,000 health workers have been trained since 2023, and 2,500 doctors, nurses, midwives, and community health extension workers have been recruited to strengthen frontline services.

Over the past 16 months, 4,000 health personnel have also been added in Federal Tertiary Hospitals to close workforce gaps.

“Reforms in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and the NHIA are delivering measurable gains in patient confidence and service utilisation.

“As enrollment expands, benefits multiply. Wider adoption of health insurance enhances quality, strengthens accountability, and protects households from financial hardship.”

These achievements, he noted, reflect President Tinubu’s vision of a health system that serves all Nigerians, regardless of income or status.

He assured that FG would continue to modernise infrastructure, strengthen the workforce, and sustain reforms until every Nigerian is covered and cared for. (Channels TV)