Over 90% of Nigerians still uninsured despite NHIA Act — Falana

The Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Femi Falana, SAN, has called on all tiers of government to provide adequate funding for the health insurance of vulnerable Nigerians, following the enforcement of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act of 2022.

Speaking through a statement issued on Sunday, Falana described the NHIA Act as a landmark reform aimed at ensuring universal health coverage for every Nigerian and legal resident.

He, however, warned that without proper funding and full implementation, the goal of affordable and accessible healthcare for all would remain elusive.

The NHIA Act, signed into law by the Federal Government in 2022, had repealed the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Act of 2004, which had failed to achieve significant population coverage or unify the country’s fragmented health insurance system.

According to Falana, the new law represented a major legal and policy shift by making health insurance compulsory for all Nigerians.

“It also establishes a Basic Minimum Package of Care that must be provided to every citizen, as well as a Vulnerable Group Fund to subsidise the care of children under five, pregnant women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the poor.

“The NHIA Act has created a regulatory and institutional framework to promote, supervise, and regulate both public and private health insurance schemes in Nigeria.

“It is designed to ensure that no Nigerian is left behind in accessing quality healthcare,” Falana said.

In a bid to expand coverage, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on September 3, 2025, issued a directive mandating all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enrol their employees in the NHIA scheme.

The directive also required entities participating in public procurement to present a valid NHIA-issued Health Insurance Certificate.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been tasked with enforcing the order and monitoring compliance, a move that could significantly increase health insurance enrolment nationwide.

Furthermore, the NHIA Act mandated all 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory to establish state health insurance schemes to ensure residents have access to the basic minimum package of care.

Also, states without such schemes are allowed to engage third-party administrators until they are fully operational.

Falana emphasised that these provisions align with Section 17(3)(d) of the Nigerian Constitution, which allows the government to provide adequate medical and health facilities for all citizens.

He also cited Article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

“The majority of Nigerians today fall within the vulnerable category.

“Therefore, the federal, state, and local governments must rise to their constitutional and legal duty to fund health insurance for all citizens,” Falana declared.

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