The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has inaugurated the new governing council of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

At the inauguration ceremony on Friday in Abuja, Mr Pate charged the members to build on recent progress towards achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.

He described the newly appointed members as “qualified and capable,” noting that the council chair, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, brings valuable experience as a former senator and lead sponsor of the NHIA Act.

In March, President Bola Tinubu appointed Ibrahim Oloriegbe as Chairman of the NHIA for an initial term of four years. The appointment marks a return to public service for the former senator who represented Kwara Central in the 9th National Assembly.

Mr Pate expressed confidence that the new council’s “combined expertise would be critical to sustaining current momentum and driving the agency’s mandate.”

While acknowledging challenges in the country’s journey towards universal health coverage, Mr Pate asked the council to build on the progress already made by the NHIA.

These include reviewed tariffs for healthcare providers and accelerated support for vulnerable groups under health insurance.

In his remarks, the new Chairperson, Mr Oloriegbe, expressed gratitude and recalled his contributions to health-related legislation during his time in the National Assembly.

He said the NHIA Act was one of four key bills he sponsored, alongside the Mental Health Act, the amendment of the Psychiatric Hospitals Act, which led to a neuropsychiatric hospital in Kwara State, and the bill establishing the Federal College of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

He assured stakeholders that the board would commit fully to its duties and serve the country with diligence and integrity.

Also, NHIA’s Director-General, Kelechi Ohiri, said building a strong health system is a shared responsibility. Mr Ohiri stressed that achieving universal health coverage requires more than government effort; it requires the active involvement of all stakeholders across sectors.

He encouraged collaboration among public institutions, the private sector, development partners, and communities to build an inclusive, resilient, and equitable healthcare system for all Nigerians.

Mr Ohiri highlighted some of the agency’s recent milestones, including the increase in enrolment from 16.8 million in 2023 to over 20 million Nigerians in 2025.

He said this puts Nigeria on track to surpass the 2027 target set by the presidency.

Other developments include the enrolment of 2.67 million Nigerians under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, with more than 800,000 new beneficiaries this year.

He said over 7,500 women have also accessed maternal health services such as obstetric fistula repair and emergency care across over 200 facilities.

The NHIA has also launched a one-hour referral code policy to reduce delays and piloted the integration of HIV and TB services into insurance coverage in five states.

It was also revealed that a major tariff review has increased provider payments, with capitation raised by 93 per cent and fee-for-service payments by 378 per cent, and complaint resolution also improved in 2024, with over 80 per cent of issues addressed.