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The federal government has unveiled plans to enroll 44 million Nigerians into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by 2030 to curb high out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
The minister of state for health and social welfare, Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Monday, September 1, at the opening of the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to deliberate on ways to reshape the nation’s health financing landscape.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to citizens’ health through innovative and sustainable financing.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has underlined the necessity for Nigeria to strengthen its health financing by increasing domestic resources and decreasing reliance on external aid.
The theme, “Reimagining a New Era of Health Financing,” reflects Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing domestic and sustainable funding to achieve universal health coverage.
Salako underscored that the dialogue was a pivotal opportunity to transform commitments into actionable strategies and inspiring results that will shape future policy and implementation.
“The President has continued to emphasize that a strong health system is vital for national growth and has therefore directed the implementation of several interconnected policies to achieve universal health coverage and protect Nigerians,” he said.
He highlighted a steady rise in health funding: from N434 billion in 2018 to N1.2 trillion in 2021. The proposed N2.48 trillion allocation for 2025, he said, represents 5.18% of the federal budget, more than double the 2021 figure, but still far below the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark.
Salako added that the National Assembly augmented the 2024 health budget by N300 billion in response to the suspension of U.S. aid, while subnational governments have also raised their allocations.
Overall, total health expenditure as a share of GDP rose from 3.4% in 2013 to 5.03% in 2024.
Salako reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the National Health Insurance Act of 2012, which makes health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians and establishes the Vulnerable Group Fund for citizens unable to afford premiums.
He explained that the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), created under the 2014 National Health Act and funded by 1% of consolidated revenue, remains central to supporting the poor and vulnerable.
Plans are underway to approach the National Assembly to raise this allocation to at least 2%.
“Under the Presidential Performance Agreement we signed, a key deliverable for the Ministry is to enroll at least 44 million Nigerians into the national health insurance scheme by 2030.
“This will help reduce out-of-pocket expenditure on health, which currently stands at an unacceptably high rate of about 70%.
“We remain focused on strengthening the framework, expanding coverage, ensuring sustainability, and addressing persistent challenges such as inadequate budgetary allocations, systemic inefficiencies, fragmented programming, and limited reliable data,” Salako stated.
He stressed that Nigeria must learn from countries such as Ghana, where political commitment, innovative funding, strong legal frameworks, and decentralized implementation have delivered stronger health outcomes.
He urged stakeholders to actively exchange ideas in technical sessions, share best practices, and forge partnerships that will translate aspirations into concrete health sector reforms.
Salako emphasized that the ultimate objective is to build a financing framework that is sustainable, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring every Nigerian can access quality healthcare without financial hardship.
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