FG plans to enrol 20m Nigerians under BHCPF – NHIS boss, Sambo

The Federal Government says it is targeting to enrol at least 20m Nigerians annually under the national health insurance scheme over the course of ten years.

The government says it hopes to achieve this by enrolling beneficiaries under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF, which has kicked off in some states.

The Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof Mohammed Sambo disclosed the plans of the government at the flag-off of enrollment of beneficiaries of BHPF in Jigawa State.

He said the BHCPF is part of the overall effort by the government to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

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Sambo informed that the BHCPF, provided for in section 11 of the National Health Act of 2014, guarantees the application of 1% of Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for funding of primary health care.

”BHCPF will ensure that vulnerable populations have affordable access to minimum health care”.

Sambo stressed that the NHIS which is one of the implementing agencies of the fund was now properly positioned and equipped to provide effective oversight of the programme guided by the ongoing reforms of its operations.

The Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar who was represented by his Deputy, Malam Umar Namadi said the commencement of enrollment was an important milestone in the pursuit of quality health care for citizens of the state, maintaining that the state government was committed to raising the health indices of its population.

Earlier, the permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Dr Salisu Muazu said that 420 people would be registered under BHCPF during the flag-off, while enrollment will be conducted throughout the 279 political wards in the state, stressing that the state was fully prepared to ensure that people at the grassroots are impacted by the programme.

The Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Contributory Health Care Management Agency, Dr Nura Ibrahim informed that the state began to draw funding from the programme in 2019, adding that over N500m had so been received by the state to run its BHCPF program.