The Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Enehe Dorcas Omenike , inaugurated the Agenda for Informal Sector Mapping and Engagement for Health Insurance Uptake in Lokoja.
This initiative, organized by the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, aims to enhance health insurance coverage among the informal sector, which comprises over 90% of the state’s population.
During the event, the Commissioner underscored the critical need to raise awareness and dispel misconceptions surrounding health insurance within the informal sector. He noted that many individuals mistakenly believe that health insurance is exclusively for government employees. To address this, he called upon stakeholders to collaborate and share their insights, thereby fostering demand for health insurance enrollment among informal workers.
In his opening remarks, Dr Abdulazeez encouraged all participants to contribute their experiences and innovative ideas to advance the initiative aimed at increasing health insurance uptake within the informal sector
Earlier the Executive Secretary, Kogi State Health Insurance Agency Dr.Aledare Adekunle said the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency was established in 2019 by the former governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is regarded as the Father of Health Insurance in the state.” Despite the challenges, the agency has been able to achieve significant milestones due to strong political will and support. Since becoming operational in September 2022,, the agency has enrolled over 240,000 elderly citizens under the scheme, and this feat wouldn’t have been possible without the commitment of the state government.”
The agency has made significant progress in enrolling various groups, including state civil servants, their families, political office holders, students of tertiary institutions, and local government civil servants. As of now, over 24,000 local government civil servants have been captured on the agency’s dashboard, and their ID cards are being produced. The agency plans to flag off the formal sector program for local government civil servants and pensioners in the next one to two months.”
Dr Aledara said that, the next phase of the agency’s plan is to enroll the informal sector, which comprises over 90% of the state’s population. This group includes self-employed individuals, the unemployed, and vulnerable persons who are not working in any formal setting.
The agency recognizes the challenges of getting this group enrolled, as they may not see the need for health insurance. However, the agency believes that health insurance is beneficial, as it has helped civil servants discover unknown health challenges and access necessary care.
The agency’s experience with the civil servants has shown that health insurance can prevent complications and improve health outcomes. With the informal sector, the agency aims to replicate this success. However, it acknowledges that it needs the input of stakeholders who work with or relate to the informal sector. The agency is calling for a meeting to tap into the experience and knowledge of stakeholders on how to penetrate the informal sector and get them enrolled.
The meeting is crucial for the agency’s plans to scale up health insurance coverage in the state. With only about 1,400 persons enrolled under the informal sector, the agency knows that it has a long way to go. By harnessing the ideas and experiences of stakeholders, the agency hopes to develop effective strategies for reaching and enrolling the informal sector, which will be a game-changer for the state’s health insurance program.
In a goodwill message, the Chief Medical Director of the kogi state Hospitals Management board , Dr. Ayo Olayemi emphasize the importance of the initiative.
” Our goal is to increase health insurance coverage among the informal sector, which constitutes a significant portion of our population. By working together, we can identify effective strategies to reach and enroll more people in this sector.”
According to him, health insurance is crucial for ensuring access to quality healthcare, and it’s essential that it is made accessible to everyone, regardless of their occupation or socioeconomic status.
“I’m pleased to see stakeholders from various backgrounds coming together to share their experiences and ideas on how to improve health insurance uptake among the informal sector. I believe this collaboration will yield positive outcomes for our community.,”
“Let us work together to develop effective strategies for reaching the informal sector and increasing health insurance enrollment. By doing so, we can improve the overall health and well-being of our population and create a more sustainable healthcare system. I’m confident that with our collective efforts, we can make a significant impact and achieve our goals.”
The representative of the kogi state council of ulamau Ustaz Zakariya emphasised the need to make healthcare accessible to all particularly, civil servants, pensioners and the informal Sector warning against the politicisation of the scheme
He assured of the council’s support to make the program a successful one .
Also speaking, the representative of the christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) assured of the support of CAN to make the program a success in the state.
Other goodwill messages came from UNICEF, the National orientation Agency, Market women, Jamaatul Nasirul Islam, (JNI), civil society organizations and a host of others from the informal Sector.
Dorothy Onoja
PRO
Ministry of Health
