The Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) has partnered with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State Council, to deepen health insurance coverage and extend affordable healthcare services to residents, particularly those in rural communities.
The initiative, according to RIVCHPP, is aimed at ensuring that residents across the 23 local government areas can access quality healthcare without being pushed into financial hardship whenever they require medical attention.
Speaking at a two-day capacity-building workshop organised by ALGON in Port Harcourt from August 7 to 8, 2026, the Executive Secretary of RIVCHPP, Dr Vetty Agala, urged local government chairmen to make healthcare enrolment a priority and regard it as part of their legacy to their people.
Agala said effective leadership must remain centred on the welfare of the people, stressing that a healthy population would translate into increased productivity and contribute to the growth of the state’s economy.
She explained that RIVCHPP was established under the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to ensure that all residents of Rivers State have access to quality and affordable healthcare without suffering catastrophic financial hardship.
According to her, the programme is not restricted to government employees, but is open to virtually all categories of residents, including workers in the private sector, self-employed persons, artisans and other members of the informal economy.
She said the programme was particularly important for rural dwellers, many of whom could be exposed to severe financial difficulties when confronted with unexpected medical bills.
Agala disclosed that vulnerable populations are currently covered under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), while other residents can enrol in the programme for as low as N25,000 annually and access healthcare services at their preferred health facilities.
She urged the local government chairmen to use their structures and grassroots networks to mobilise residents for enrolment, noting that the success of the scheme would depend largely on its ability to reach people at the community level.
“Leadership is supposed to be about the people,” Agala said, stressing that ensuring access to healthcare should be considered a critical responsibility of those entrusted with public office.
She also called on traditional rulers, community development committees, religious leaders and other stakeholders to support the enrolment drive and ensure that residents in their communities are adequately informed about the benefits of the programme.
The RIVCHPP boss said wider enrolment would help protect families from catastrophic healthcare expenditure, particularly when serious health challenges arise.
The partnership with ALGON is expected to provide RIVCHPP with a stronger grassroots platform to reach residents who may otherwise remain outside formal healthcare protection schemes.
For the state government, increased enrolment could also strengthen preventive healthcare, reduce the financial burden of medical treatment on households and contribute to a healthier and more productive population.
Agala therefore urged all stakeholders to see health insurance not merely as a government programme, but as a collective investment in the wellbeing and economic future of Rivers State.
She maintained that ensuring that residents, especially those in rural and vulnerable communities, are covered would bring the benefits of affordable healthcare closer to the people and advance the goal of universal health coverage in the state.
