Cross River agency moves to transform health insurance systems, tackle maternal

The Cross River State Health Insurance Agency (CRSHIA) is poised to address systemic healthcare gaps, particularly maternal and child mortality, through a two-day capacity-building workshop for the governing board and management staff in Calabar.

The workshop, which brought together key stakeholders from both Cross River and Ebonyi States, centered on the theme ‘Daring to Transform: Building a Health System that Puts People Before Politics’.

It aimed to foster collaboration, strengthen institutional frameworks, and prioritise citizens’ health over political convenience.

In his opening remarks, Chief Godwin Iyala, Director General of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, highlighted the agency’s progress and its role as a center for innovative health insurance ideas during the launch of a training program for its Board and Management Team. Iyala expressed appreciation for Governor Bassey Otu’s support and vision of positioning Cross River as a benchmark for health insurance in Nigeria.

He underscored the significance of the ongoing capacity-building workshop, which features leading industry experts as facilitators, encouraging participants to absorb the information and apply it to fuel the agency’s development. Iyala concluded by emphasizing the shared responsibility to elevate the agency and improve citizens’ lives through efficient health insurance practices.

In a powerful call to action that blended policy insight with moral urgency, Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Cross River State House of Assembly, declared that “health is not a privilege—it is a right.”

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Bisong urged participants to rise above bureaucracy and short political cycles to build a resilient, people-centered health insurance system.

He said, “We must dare to transform. not just through policies, but through systems that deliver—consistently, transparently, and equitably.”

Drawing lessons from global examples like Rwanda, Taiwan, Ghana, and Indonesia, Bisong outlined a six-pillar strategy for sustainable healthcare transformation in Cross River State. These included: Community ownership, fair and scalable financing, digital transformation, transparent leadership structures, professional development, and oerformance monitoring.

In a strong stance against politicizing healthcare, he emphasized, “Health is life. And life is sacred. A health insurance system must never be politicized.”

Also speaking at the event, Hon. Barr. Elizabeth Ogechi Ogbaga, Chairman of the governing board of Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency, stressed the importance of inter-state collaboration. “We are here for cross-pollination of ideas,” she said. “Our challenges are similar—rising maternal deaths, child mortality, lack of access. We must treat this as an emergency.”

Ogbaga emphasized that such forums allow for strategic alignment and shared solutions across state lines, adding that socialization among agency leaders is crucial for long-term cooperation and trust.

The workshop signals a growing recognition among sub-national actors in Nigeria that health reforms must be people-focused, evidence-driven, and politically insulated to make sustainable impact.

Observers hailed the workshop as a landmark event that could lay the foundation for a new model of sub-national cooperation in health governance—one that places the well-being of citizens at the center of public policy.

With the commitment expressed by key actors, there is renewed hope that Cross River and Ebonyi States may emerge as trailblazers in achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.

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