Insure Lives, Not Just Cars And Gold, Stakeholders Urge As Millions Of Nigerians Face Medical Poverty

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Healthcare leaders, policymakers, pharmacists and industry stakeholders have called for an urgent expansion of health insurance coverage in Nigeria, warning that millions of citizens remain one illness away from financial ruin due to the country’s heavy reliance on out-of-pocket healthcare spending.

The call was made at the 2026 Public Lecture and Mid-Year Meeting of the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN), held at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where participants urged governments, employers, professional bodies and private organisations to accelerate health insurance enrolment, particularly among workers in the informal sector.

Chairman of the Board of Fellows, Pharm. Uchenna Uzoma Apakama, said only between five and eight per cent of Nigerians currently have health insurance, leaving traders, artisans, transport workers, market women and millions of others vulnerable to catastrophic medical expenses.

He lamented that low insurance penetration has continued to deepen poverty, as many families are forced to rely on personal savings or borrow money to pay medical bills whenever illness strikes.

According to him, affordable and comprehensive health insurance should no longer be treated as a privilege but as a critical pillar of national development and social protection.

The lecture, themed “Insurance-Based Healthcare Financing: Key to Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria,” brought together healthcare professionals, regulators, health maintenance organisations (HMOs), financial institutions, government agencies, pharmaceutical leaders and policymakers to identify practical strategies for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Participants expressed concern that despite more than two decades of health insurance reforms, Nigeria’s Universal Health Coverage index remains at about 40, while over 70 per cent of healthcare expenditure is still financed directly by patients.

To expand coverage, Apakama urged members of the National Assembly to devote part of their constituency intervention funds to sponsoring health insurance premiums for vulnerable Nigerians.

He also encouraged labour unions, professional associations, market organisations, transport unions and community groups to adopt group health insurance schemes, noting that collective enrolment had proven effective in improving access to quality healthcare.

He cited the National Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) as an example of how group participation can successfully expand insurance coverage.

The BOF chairman further appealed to philanthropists, charitable foundations and corporate organisations to incorporate health insurance sponsorship into their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.

Former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, who chaired the event, urged Nigerians to place the same value on protecting their health as they do on insuring their cars, houses and other valuable assets.

He observed that while countries such as Germany institutionalised health insurance centuries ago, Nigeria has continued to struggle because implementation has consistently lagged behind policy formulation.

Adelusi-Adeluyi also challenged pharmacists to champion health insurance advocacy across the country, describing the profession as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.

President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to supporting ongoing healthcare reforms and positioning pharmacists as key drivers of health insurance expansion at the community level.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, NHIA representative, Pharm. Femi Adeoye, said sustainable healthcare financing remains central to Nigeria’s health sector transformation.

He noted that Universal Health Coverage cannot be achieved without removing the financial barriers preventing citizens from accessing essential healthcare services.

Adeoye said the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda is providing strategic direction for expanding health insurance through improved provider accreditation, digital innovation and healthcare workforce development.

He added that the NHIA is deploying technology to simplify enrolment and improve access to healthcare services nationwide.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hygeia HMO, John Iwuajoku, said more than 130 million Nigerians still lack health insurance, attributing the situation to poor public awareness, inadequate government funding and weak healthcare infrastructure.

He advocated integrating existing national identity platforms, including the National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN), into health insurance enrolment to improve planning, data management and nationwide coverage.

President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Prof. Lere Baale, called for the full integration of community pharmacists into Nigeria’s health insurance system, describing community pharmacies as the country’s most accessible healthcare facilities.

He also advocated stronger collaboration among healthcare professionals to improve medication management and patient outcomes.

A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of Ultimate Health HMO’s U-Health GIFSHIP (Group, Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme), designed to provide affordable health insurance for workers in the informal sector.

Managing Director of Ultimate Health HMO, Dr. Lekan Ewenla, said the initiative was developed to bridge the healthcare access gap affecting traders, artisans, transport operators and small business owners who remain outside the formal insurance system.

He disclosed that although more than 11 million Nigerians currently benefit from the Federal Civil Service Health Insurance Programme, millions of informal sector workers remain uninsured despite the 2022 amendment to the National Health Insurance Authority Act, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians.

“Our goal is not simply to sell health insurance but to make quality healthcare more affordable, accessible and equitable for every Nigerian,” Ewenla said.

Head of Medical Services at Ultimate Health HMO, Dr. Chima Madu, said the package covers maternal and child healthcare, antenatal care, deliveries, neonatal services and cancer treatment support through NHIA-approved partnerships.

Representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), the Chartered Institute of Administration (CIA) and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) pledged support for initiatives aimed at expanding health insurance coverage and strengthening healthcare financing.

The stakeholders unanimously agreed that achieving Universal Health Coverage would require coordinated action by government, healthcare professionals, private organisations and communities.

They reaffirmed their commitment to transforming Nigeria’s healthcare financing system from one driven largely by out-of-pocket payments to a sustainable insurance-based model capable of protecting citizens from financial hardship while guaranteeing access to quality healthcare.