The Sokoto State Contributory Health Management Agency (SOCHEMA) says it plans to enrol between 38,500 and 39,000 civil servants in its health insurance scheme as part of efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare across the state.
The Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Yusuf Abu Abdulkarim, disclosed this in Sokoto while briefing journalists on the agency’s activities and programmes.
Abu Abdulkarim said preparations for the formal-sector programme were between 90 and 95 per cent complete, with consultations concluded with about 50 affiliated labour unions.
He said Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) had also been signed with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), adding that the agency was awaiting a formal commencement date.
According to him, the scheme will cover each civil servant, a spouse and four biological children below 18 years, making six beneficiaries under the family package.
He added that additional dependants would attract an annual premium of between N12,000 and N20,000.
“The state government is proposing a contribution of between three and four per cent of the civil servant’s basic salary.
“We are expecting between N180 million and N200 million monthly to ensure that civil servants receive effective and quality healthcare,” he said.
The director-general said the agency, established in 2018 and fully operational since 2021, was mandated to ensure that residents of the state had access to quality healthcare services.
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He explained that the agency operated formal- and informal-sector programmes, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), jointly supported by the Federal and state governments.
Abu Abdulkarim said the BHCPF currently covered 132 wards across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with plans to expand coverage to 244 wards by next month.
“The target has been set by the Federal Government to scale up the number of people covered, and directors and enumerators are currently in the field working to ensure that we achieve this,” he said.
He listed pregnant women, children under five, persons with special needs, vulnerable households and the elderly as beneficiaries of the BHCPF.
Abu Abdulkarim commended Gov. Ahmed Aliyu for his continued support and commitment to the agency’s programmes.
The director-general said the contributory healthcare model was designed to promote collective responsibility in healthcare financing and ensure sustainable access to quality medical services across the state.
