The Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mohammed Sambo, has said Nigeria cannot achieve Universal Health Scheme until the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is made compulsory for all.
Mr Sambo said this while speaking at the opening ceremony of the ongoing NHIS management retreat holding in Kaduna.
The NHIS Executive Secretary also stressed the need for an amendment of the NHIS Act.
“We have a presidential mandate to achieve UHC but if NHIS is not made compulsory we cannot achieve that,” he said.
Mr Sambo said plans are underway to ensure high-level advocacy to convince the president to sign the bill so that everybody, the states, organised private and informal sector will join the scheme.
He stated that the NHIS under his leadership has mapped out strategies to get the bill signed.
“The amended bill has been widely acknowledged by every stakeholder as a very good bill that will help us achieve UHC.
“We have a plan to have a round table discussion with the senate and the house of reps so that we can look at the law and develop a high powered committee that will undertake advocacy for the purpose of signing that bill.
“If we get that, we will have a very good pool in our coffers to provide care for the vulnerable population,” the NHIS boss said.
A bill to repeal and replace the NHIS Act was passed by the 8th National Assembly in April and forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari but he has neither signed it nor declined assent.
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