Hussaini Ibrahim 
Kano, Nigeria — Health insurance enrollment in Kano State surges by 87.6 per cent within two years, rising from 497,262 beneficiaries in 2023 to 933,014 in 2025, the state’s Contributory Healthcare Management Agency announces.
Executive Secretary Dr Rahila Muktar disclosed the figures on Friday during a press briefing to commemorate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2025.
She attributes the growth to the Kano State Government’s renewed commitment to affordable and quality healthcare under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, guided by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran.
“The 2025 UHC theme, ‘Unaffordable Health Costs: We Are Sick of It!’, aligns with our mission to shield households from catastrophic health spending,” Muktar says.
She explains that the agency, established under Law No. 3 of 2016, pools contributions, taxes and donations to finance healthcare sustainably.
Since June 2023, enrolment under the Vulnerable Group Programme has increased by 935 per cent, rising from 4,903 to 50,745 beneficiaries, supported by the Kano State Health Trust Fund.
Beneficiaries under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund also grew by 215 per cent, reaching 342,515, while formal sector enrolment rose to 537,914.
The informal sector records the sharpest growth, increasing by over 1,140 per cent, albeit from a low base.
Muktar says the scheme now covers pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV, inmates and patients with chronic conditions.
She adds that new initiatives include Zakat and Waqf funding, digital service tracking, and an upgraded call centre to improve accountability.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 