BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

Inmates in Nigerian correctional facilities are set to benefit from health insurance under a new initiative approved by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to improve access to medical services for vulnerable populations.

The Director-General of the NHIA, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, announced the development during the quarterly media conference organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja on Thursday.

Ohiri said the Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) had approved a partnership between the NHIA and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to bring inmates under health insurance coverage, ensuring that their healthcare needs receive greater financial support.

He explained that the decision followed concerns raised several months ago by the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service over the difficulties inmates face in accessing healthcare.

“As a population that is also vulnerable and at risk, their services are covered,” Ohiri said, noting that the approval would pave the way for the programme’s implementation.

The NHIA chief said preparations would begin immediately, starting with an assessment of healthcare facilities operated by the correctional service. The exercise will determine whether the facilities meet the required standards for accreditation before they can provide services under the scheme.

The authority will also verify the identities of eligible inmates to ensure that those enrolled have valid National Identification Numbers (NINs), in line with its registration policy.

Ohiri said the verification process was necessary to ensure that insurance records were linked to identifiable individuals and that public funds allocated to the programme reached the intended beneficiaries.

Under the arrangement, enrolled inmates will be assigned to appropriate healthcare facilities for primary medical care, with referrals provided when more specialised treatment is required.

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However, inmates already covered by state health insurance schemes will be excluded from the federal arrangement to prevent duplication of coverage.

Ohiri said the NHIA would report progress to the Ministerial Oversight Committee every quarter, with the next update expected to reflect developments in facility accreditation and inmate enrolment.

Beyond improving healthcare access in correctional centres, he said the initiative formed part of broader efforts to establish a sustainable healthcare financing system that would not depend heavily on international donors.

According to him, health insurance provides a more reliable funding mechanism for healthcare programmes, helping to maintain services even when donor organisations withdraw financial support or change their priorities.

“As the world is changing, we have to build a system that is resilient and also sustainable,” he said.

In a separate update on efforts to tackle Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), Ohiri disclosed that the NHIA was working with 19 healthcare facilities equipped with trained personnel to carry out corrective surgeries.

He added that more than 90,000 women across Nigeria had received treatment for the condition, which can cause women to experience continuous leakage of urine due to an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina.

The new insurance initiative is expected to strengthen efforts to extend healthcare financing to vulnerable populations, including people in correctional facilities, while supporting the government's broader objective of improving access to essential medical services.