Making Quality Healthcare Accessible for All: The Role of Health Insurance

Most of the time, Nigerians must pay for their medical expenses, and the costs are high. Given that the government spends 3.9% of the nation’s GDP on healthcare and that 45% of Nigerians are poor, it is obvious that the majority of people in the country could consider decent medical care to be a luxury.  

Every nation’s sustainability is dependent on ensuring healthy lives and advancing wellbeing at all ages and across all social classes, which is why universal health coverage is critical. 

A crucial tool for protecting people from the financial burden of using the healthcare system is health insurance. Nigeria still has a poor reach and coverage for health insurance despite having the National Health Scheme (NHIS) for more than 17 years. 

Although Lagos state is one of the most well-known in Nigeria, the Lagos Bureau of Statistics reports that less than 11% of Lagos residents have health insurance of any kind to cover their medical expenses. Many of these enrollees work for the government or one of a few private companies right now. 

This edition of NSSF’s quarterly Fireside Chat will focus on exploring the theme: Making Quality Healthcare Accessible for All: The Role of Health Insurance. 

We want to educate the public on their roles, rights, contributions, and benefits in healthcare as well as the role of the government; advocating for improved quality healthcare in Nigeria; and advocating for increased uptake of health insurance in Nigeria.