Enrolment under Nigeria’s Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) recorded an increase of 1.3 million in the third quarter of 2026, following a significant decline in the first quarter over the introduction of a mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) requirement.
The Chairman of the Forum of Chief Executives of State Social Health Insurance Agencies of Nigeria (SSHIA) and Director-General of the Katsina State Health Insurance Agency, Mohammad Safana, disclosed this at the forum’s third-quarter review meeting in Abuja.
Safana explained that the initial decline followed a directive by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) requiring beneficiaries to provide valid NIN details to remain enrolled in the programme.
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According to him, the requirement led to the removal of beneficiaries without valid identification from the enrolment records, while others were required to update their information.
He said the policy initially affected enrolment figures across the states but was followed by an improvement in subsequent quarters.
“In the first quarter of the year, total BHCPF figures decreased drastically in the states because the National Health Insurance Authority mandated that the National Identification Number is now a mandatory requirement for enrolment,” Safana said.
He stated that approximately 1.7 million enrollees were recorded in the second quarter, followed by a further 1.3 million in the third quarter.
The chairman said the figures reflected a recovery in enrolment after the initial decline.
The meeting, which later proceeded into a closed-door session, was attended by representatives of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Forum of Chief Executives of State Social Health Insurance Agencies serves as a platform for collaboration and peer review among the agencies, with the aim of strengthening health insurance delivery and advancing Nigeria’s progress towards universal health coverage.
The BHCPF is designed to support access to essential healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations.
