Nigeria health insurance and financing expansion

Nigeria is implementing several initiatives to expand and stabilize its national health insurance and financing systems.

In October 2026, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) launched the Groups, Individuals and Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP) in Edo State to extend coverage to the non-formal sector, including diaspora Nigerians and donor agencies. Additionally, enrollment in the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) recovered by 1.3 million people in the third quarter of 2026, following a decline caused by new mandates requiring a valid National Identification Number (NIN).

Following these developments, the Federal Government approved a ₦40.76 billion disbursement under the BHCPF for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of approximately ₦7.88 billion from the previous quarter. This funding is distributed among the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The expansion efforts include providing health insurance to approximately 90,000 prison inmates through a collaboration between the NHIA and the Nigerian Correctional Service, as well as increasing BHCPF support to over 13,500 primary healthcare facilities nationwide.