President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to circulate a service-wide order mandating all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to fully implement compulsory health insurance for employees in compliance with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act, 2022.
The directive, issued on Wednesday, outlined five key compliance measures to ensure wider health coverage, reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and strengthen accountability in the health sector.
Under the new order, all MDAs are required to:
1. Enrol employees under the NHIA insurance plan, with the option of supplementary private coverage where necessary.
2. Enforce procurement compliance, making the presentation of a valid NHIA-issued Health Insurance Certificate a prerequisite for participation in public contracts.
3. Tie official approvals — including licenses and permits — to valid health insurance certificates.
4. Adopt digital verification, as the NHIA is to establish an online platform to track and confirm certificate authenticity.
5. Strengthen internal checks, with MDAs required to work with NHIA in verifying documents and monitoring compliance.
President Tinubu also directed that while implementation in government agencies must be immediate, constructive engagement should continue with the private sector to avoid undue burdens on businesses.
According to the Presidency, the move aims to significantly expand national health coverage, which remains “alarmingly low” despite the passage of the NHIA Act in 2022.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the directive represents a major step toward universal health coverage in Nigeria.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
