ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate implementation of compulsory health insurance across all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in line with the National Health Insurance Act, 2022.
The directive was announced on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would issue a service-wide circular enforcing compliance.
“All MDAs must enrol their employees in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) plan. Where desired, supplementary private insurance coverage may be taken up in accordance with the NHIA Act,” the circular states.
The President also mandated that all entities participating in public procurement must present a valid NHIA-issued Health Insurance Certificate as part of eligibility documentation. “This certificate confirms compliance with the mandatory health insurance requirement and serves as a condition precedent for continuing any procurement-related engagement,” the directive reads.
Tinubu instructed that the same requirement apply to the issuance and renewal of government licenses, permits, and other approvals. To enhance transparency, he directed the NHIA to “establish a digital platform to enable easy verification of Health Insurance Certificates, ensuring accessibility and accountability.”
He further stressed that MDAs must “develop internal procedures to verify the authenticity of submitted Health Insurance Certificates and ensure consistent compliance monitoring.”
While pushing for strict adherence in the public sector, the President called for “closer and constructive engagement with the private sector on the Act to ensure that businesses are not unduly constrained.”
The directive aims to expand health coverage, safeguard workers, reduce out-of-pocket expenditures, and promote accountability in public and private sector engagements. Despite being signed into law three years
