The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it has surpassed its 2025 target with more than 21 million Nigerians now enroled in the health insurance schemes nationwide.

Dr Kelechi Ohiri, the Director-General of NHIA, made this known on Thursday in Abuja during a stakeholder engagement meeting with self-financing government agencies.

The meeting, which brought together desk officers and focal persons from self-paying Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), aimed to strengthen collaboration and deepen understanding of the health insurance system.

Ohiri, who was represented by Mr Nuhu Ajodi, the Director of Formal Sector Department in the agency, said that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the agency has achieved significant progress in expanding coverage and improving access to quality healthcare.

“We have moved from below 12 million enrolees to over 21 million, surpassing the presidential target for 2025,” she said.

She said the reforms under the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022 have made health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and have repositioned the Authority to deliver on its mandate more effectively.

Ohiri added that the engagement with self-paying agencies was part of efforts to familiarise focal persons with NHIA’s processes, ensure transparency in premium computation, and strengthen operational efficiency.

“Our desk officers are NHIA ambassadors in their organisations. They are the first point of contact when enrollees face challenges and must be well equipped to respond,” she said.

According to her, the Authority’s week-long stakeholder engagements will also cover Treasury-funded agencies and the organised private sector to further expand health coverage nationwide.

She said that NHIA is strengthening its collaboration with self-paying government agencies to enhance transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder understanding of Nigeria’s health insurance system.

The director-general said the meeting aimed to familiarise NHIA desk officers and focal persons across self-paying agencies with the Authority’s operations, appreciate their roles in the health insurance ecosystem, and improve collaboration.

“Today’s meeting is to help us know one another, the NHIA team, the focal persons, and desk officers in different agencies, and to understand how the roles we each play contribute to the broader health insurance system,” she said.

According to him, participants were also expected to gain insight into how premiums are determined, including the rates and criteria used in computing contributions based on staff strength and salary levels.

“This will promote transparency and help agencies plan and project their yearly budgets for remittance to NHIA to sustain coverage,”.

She said the meeting also seeks to deepen participants’ understanding of the Authority’s mandate, legal framework, and ongoing reforms under the NHIA Act 2022, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians.

She explained that the reforms are designed to improve efficiency, ensure wider coverage, and enhance the quality of care provided to enrollees.

“Our desk officers are NHIA ambassadors in their respective organisations. They are the first point of contact when issues arise regarding staff healthcare. So, they must be well equipped to handle and escalate challenges effectively,” she said.

She said the engagement will help strengthen the relationship between NHIA and self-paying agencies by improving communication, operational efficiency, and knowledge-sharing.

“The overall goal is to build stronger partnerships and ensure that every eligible Nigerian under self-paying agencies has uninterrupted access to quality healthcare,” she said.

The meeting is part of a week-long stakeholder engagement series that will also feature sessions with Treasury-funded agencies and the organised private sector, as part of efforts to deepen national health insurance coverage.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve their ongoing disputes or face nationwide protests.

In a statement on Wednesday, NANS President, Olushola Oladoja, expressed concern over the lingering crisis, warning that continued disagreements could disrupt academic activities and destabilize the nation’s education calendar.

Oladoja noted that the education sector has enjoyed relative stability under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration, a feat he described as unprecedented since the return to democracy in 1999. He cautioned that the current impasse between the federal government and ASUU threatens this progress.

“We call on both parties to return to the negotiation table and find a lasting solution within seven days. Students who rely on academic loans cannot afford disruptions to their studies or prolonged years on campus,” Oladoja said.

The NANS president commended President Tinubu’s educational reforms, citing initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, removal of tertiary staff unions from IPPIS, reversal of the 40% IGR remittance policy, and special TETFund interventions as evidence of the administration’s commitment to education and student welfare.

However, Oladoja criticized the poor communication and delay in implementing previous agreements with ASUU, describing them as the root causes of recurring tensions.

“The recent threat of industrial action by ASUU is a major concern to Nigerian students nationwide. Despite the progress made, miscommunication and poor crisis management are now creating avoidable tension that threatens the peace and progress of the education sector,” he added.

Oladoja revealed that both parties had earlier declined to attend a government meeting due to procedural disagreements but assured that they are willing to reconvene once due process is followed.

“We urge the Federal Government to immediately reconvene the meeting to close the communication gap,” he stated.

Calling on President Tinubu to personally intervene, Oladoja warned that failure to act swiftly could erode the goodwill and stability achieved so far in the education sector.

“Nigerian students remain grateful and supportive of President Tinubu’s commitment to education. However, if this impasse continues beyond seven days, it will undermine the progress recorded under his administration. Now is the time for dialogue, understanding, and decisive action — the future of millions of Nigerian students depends on it,” he said.

Meanwhile, ASUU commenced a warning strike on Monday following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum to the federal government to address its long-standing demands.

The lecturers’ demands include the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, payment of withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, revitalization of public universities, and sustainable funding for tertiary institutions. Additional grievances involve settlement of 25–35% salary arrears, four years of promotion arrears, and the release of withheld cooperative deductions.

In response, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, directed university vice-chancellors to enforce the government’s “No Work, No Pay” policy for lecturers participating in the strike — a move that has stirred fresh controversy among university staff.

The ongoing strike has already halted examinations across several universities, leaving students and parents anxious about the future of academic activities in the country.

By Miracle Chidinma Amaechi