Expanding financial protection for Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable, is essential to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, has said.
Speaking at the opening of the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue on Monday in Abuja, Dr. Ohiri explained that NHIA, under his leadership, is aligning its reforms with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s investment initiatives to ensure equity and financial protection for all citizens.
“Health expenditure in Nigeria is still dominated by out-of-pocket payments. We can no longer continue this way. Expanding financial protection, particularly for the poor and vulnerable, is central to President Bola Tinubu’s agenda and to our collective effort to achieve universal health coverage,” he said.
Dr. Ohiri emphasized that sustainable and equitable health financing requires cross-sector collaboration, guided by transparency and accountability. He also stressed the importance of reducing overdependence on external aid by prioritizing domestic resource mobilisation and adopting innovative financing models.
He noted that the global health financing environment is undergoing significant transitions, with shrinking donor support while disease burdens continue to evolve.
“We are at a point of transition to government financing, where going forward, there has to be broader reliance on domestic resources.
“Our health system cannot afford the luxury of transitioning slowly from infectious to non-communicable diseases; we are dealing with both simultaneously”, he said.
Dr. Ohiri warned that Nigeria faces a double burden of rising non-communicable diseases alongside persistent infectious diseases, compounded by demographic shifts that require greater investment in health and education to unlock the potential of the country’s young population.
He concluded by asserting that financing conversations must remain people-centred, ensuring that health policies and investments are designed to meet the needs of all Nigerians.
