Nigeria’s federal government said health insurance enrollment reached 23.06 million by the third quarter of 2026, a rise that does not establish whether patients can access covered care or are protected from financial hardship.
The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation said Oct. 28 that the total compared with about 16.2 million in 2023, implying an increase of roughly 42%. The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) said in a Sept. 25 announcement that more than 23 million Nigerians were enrolled, without giving an exact count or measurement period.
At the Future of Health Conference in Abuja on Oct. 29, NHIA Director-General Kelechi Ohiri said enrollment records need to correspond with access to treatment and protection from financial risk, Premium Times reported. The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Ohiri said the NHIA had tracked 2,209 complaints and resolved 82% within 48 hours.
The federal government said 3,182,943 vulnerable Nigerians had been identified for coverage supported by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). Nigeria’s 2022 NHIA Act requires residents to obtain health insurance and states to cover vulnerable people without charging premiums.
The government also said it was working with the National Assembly to raise the BHCPF’s statutory allocation from 1% to 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The statement gave no decision date.
