Get Guardian on GoogleThe Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Kelechi Ohiri, has dedicated an award for his commitment to the anti-corruption drive to staff of the authority and Nigerians, saying accountability is critical to improving healthcare delivery.
Ohiri received the recognition from the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), for his commitment to transparency and accountability.
In his acceptance remarks, the NHIA boss said the award was not a personal achievement but a recognition of the collective efforts of the authority’s workforce and its responsibility to Nigerians.
He stressed that the fight against corruption must go beyond compliance with regulations to ensure that public resources deliver tangible benefits, particularly in the health sector.
According to him, accountability in health insurance directly affects access to healthcare, the quality of services available to patients, and the effective use of public resources to protect lives.
The recognition comes amid efforts by the NHIA to strengthen internal controls and improve operational efficiency through the digitisation of financial management processes, efforts to clear outstanding audit backlogs, improved monitoring of service delivery and stronger complaint-handling mechanisms.
The authority has also pursued capacity-building initiatives for its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to strengthen preventive oversight and promote institutional accountability.
These efforts involve various departments, including finance, audit, compliance, technical and administrative units, highlighting the role of institutional collaboration in sustaining reforms.
The award also comes as the Federal Government pursues health sector reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, leading efforts to improve access to healthcare and strengthen the health system.
Under Ohiri’s leadership, the NHIA has intensified efforts to expand health insurance coverage, improve accountability among healthcare providers and widen access to essential health benefits. National health insurance enrolment has risen to more than 23 million Nigerians, although expanding coverage and improving the quality of healthcare remain key challenges.
The recognition underscores the importance of transparency, effective management and institutional safeguards in ensuring that ongoing reforms translate into better healthcare access and financial protection for Nigerians.
