Dr. Vetty Agala, Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer of RIVCHPP, addressing the management meeting of the agency.
The Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) has raised its enrolment target under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) from 84,054 to 111,865, as it prepares to expand health insurance coverage across the state.
The programme said it would conduct a mop-up enrolment exercise across the 23 local government areas in October and November 2026 to meet the revised target set by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Unit of RIVCHPP on Friday, following the agency’s third-quarter management review meeting in Port Harcourt.
The planned mop-up exercise is expected to expand access to health insurance by identifying and enrolling more eligible residents, particularly those who have yet to benefit from the state’s contributory health protection scheme.
RIVCHPP urged eligible residents to obtain their National Identification Number (NIN), which it identified as a key requirement for enrolment, to facilitate their registration and access to essential healthcare services.
In a related development, the agency has expressed concern over the low utilisation of healthcare services by retired Rivers State Government workers already enrolled in the programme.
An analysis presented at its third-quarter management review meeting reportedly showed that retirees were not accessing medical services under the scheme as expected.
The agency consequently urged verified retirees to take full advantage of their health insurance coverage by visiting their designated healthcare facilities whenever they require medical attention.
It noted that the programme was designed to improve access to healthcare and reduce the financial burden of medical expenses on beneficiaries, warning against allowing the benefits of enrolment to remain unused.
RIVCHPP also advised retirees who were unsure of their assigned healthcare facilities or wished to change their existing facilities to contact its call centre on 08085315664 or 09046962204 for clarification and assistance.
The agency reiterated that effective utilisation of the scheme by enrolled retirees, alongside the enrolment of more eligible residents, remained important to achieving broader healthcare coverage across Rivers State.