The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger State Contributory Health Agency-NiCare, Sulayman Abu-Bakr, MPH,has led a delegation on an advocacy visit to the office of First Lady of Niger State,Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago,to solicit her support for the expansion of health insurance coverage among vulnerable residents across the state.

The delegation comprised the State Coordinator of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Abdulsalam Omar, and the Director of Human Resources, Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NGIRS), Aliyu Ndayagi.

Statement issued to newsmen in Minna by the spokesperson of the agency,Mariam Umar
explained that the visit featured a presentation on the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF),Vulnerable Group Programme, highlighting NiCare’s achievements in expanding access to quality healthcare services through health insurance coverage.

It stressed that during the presentation,the Executive Secretary disclosed that NiCare has recorded significant progress in health insurance coverage across the state, with over 121,000 residents enrolled under various programmes,including 80,230 beneficiaries covered through the BHCPF.

As part of efforts to deepen health insurance penetration and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage, the delegation proposed a First-Lady-led enrolment campaign aimed at enrolling an additional 65,000 vulnerable Nigerlites across the 25 Local Government Areas of the state.

Earlier in her remarks, the wife the governor,Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bago,commended NiCare for its remarkable achievements and described the Agency as one of the leading government institutions contributing meaningfully to the welfare of the people of Niger State.

The First Lady formally accepted to serve as the State Health Insurance Ambassador, pledging to champion awareness and mobilization efforts to increase enrollment in health insurance programmes, particularly among vulnerable populations.

She expressed confidence in the Agency’s capacity to deliver on its mandate,and assured the delegation of her support towards the successful implementation of the proposed enrolment drive, adding that a date for the official flag-off of the campaign will be communicated in due course.

Also speaking during the visit, Abdulsalam Omar, State Coordinator of NHIA, lauded NiCare for its commitment to expanding access to healthcare services and pledged the Authority’s continued support towards achieving universal health coverage in the state.

Similarly, Aliyu Ndayagi, Director of Human Resources, Niger State Internal Revenue Service, applauded the Agency’s efforts and assured of the Service’s support in advancing health insurance coverage among residents of the state.

The advocacy visit underscores the strong collaboration among NiCare, NHIA, and NGIRS in promoting sustainable healthcare financing and ensuring that more vulnerable citizens have access to quality and affordable healthcare services.

The Agency expressed appreciation to the Niger State First Lady for her confidence in NiCare and looked forward to a productive partnership that will further advance the realization of universal health coverage in Niger State.
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