Nigeria to Set Up Fund to Cover 83m Poor Citizens, as Buhari Signs National Health Authority Bill into Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the recently passed National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022, which repealed the National Health Insurance Scheme Act, Cap N42, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The president, according to a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Thursday, said at the signing of the new law, that a fund would be set up to ensure coverage of 83 million poor Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as recommended by the Lancet Nigeria Commission.

While elaborating on how the fund would be sourced, Buhari said: “For the large number of vulnerable individuals who are not able to pay health insurance premiums, a Vulnerable Group Fund will be set up to include a component of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund due to the Authority, Health Insurance Levy, Special Intervention Fund, and any investment proceeds, donations and gifts to the Authority.”

The President announced that the Authority would collaborate with state government Health Insurance Schemes to accredit primary and secondary health facilities and enroll Nigerians into the scheme in order to ensure the delivery of quality health care.

The new Act also enables the Authority and state governments to develop information management systems and digital records for better data collection, monitoring and quality assurance.

Buhari, therefore, tasked the Health Reform Committee to work with state governments, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Authority to ensure the implementation of the articles in the new Act.

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