Wife of Niger State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Mohammad Umar Bago has unveiled Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) vulnerable drive with a target of enrolling additional 65,000 vulnerable residents as beneficiaries of the health insurance coverage.

The basic healthcare provision fund is a national security initiative by the federal government as a key public financing vehicle  established under the National Health Act 2014 to improve access to primary care and it is financed by at least 1% of the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund to deliver basic medical services to poor and vulnerable populations.

Performing the official flag off in Minna on Monday 3rd August,2026,Fatima Bago, emphasized that while hospitals and other heath facilities are improved, it remains imperative to ensure that people can access the services available within them without financial hardship.

Bago had expressed optimism that the initiative will provide  opportunity to beneficiaries to access essential healthcare services even as she lauded the land mark achievements of governor Bago in improving health sector across the State.

The governor wife encouraged traditional and religious leaders, community leaders,health care workers, development partners and the media to help in carrying out sensitization campaigns that will enable more people enrol and benefit from the State’s health care scheme.

Earlier,Commissioner for health, Dr. Murtala Muhammad Bagana in his keynote,described the BHCPF scheme as an instrument for expanding healthcare access across the State saying that, with the dedication of the Niger State Contributory Health Scheme (NiCare) and the support of development partners, more than 121,000 residents have already benefited from essential health services.

Dr Murtala noted the launch of the enrolment of an additional 65,000 vulnerable persons
across the 25 local councils is another significant step towards
achieving Universal Health Coverage as it presents a renewed hope for families who will now have access to essential healthcare
without financial hardship.

Executive Secretary/CEO, Niger State Contributory Health Agency, Sulayman Abu-Bakr, disclosed that since the commencement of the Basic Health care provision fund in the State in 2020, a total of 80,230 vulnerable beneficiaries have been enrolled with 298,000 malaria cases treated, 106,000 antenatal visits and 68,000 children immunized.

Abu-Bakr who appreciate the remarkable efforts of the governor in the health sector,stressed that many vulnerable Nigerlites have not enrolled in the scheme as such, the 65,000 beneficiaries to be added is unprecedented in the State government’s quest to improve the livelihood of the people.

In their separate goodwill messages, representatives from National Health Insurance Authority, World Health Organization,WHO,Niger State Internal Revenue Service and other development partners, all applauded the State government’s initiatives in the health sector and reassured of their continued support.

Highlights of the event include the formal unveiling of the wife of the governor, Hajiya Fatima Bago as NiCARE ambassador and the inauguration of Vice Chairpersons as health insurance ambassadors across the 25 local councils of the state.