Chris Awhawha
The Niger State Contributory Health Agency (NiCARE), has enrolled 100,400 citizens into Health Insurance scheme.
This was disclosed by Executive Secretary of the agency, Sulayman Abubakar, while speaking to Journalists during the 2024 Budget Review Meeting on Friday in Minna.
Sulayman Abubakar said the budget review meeting was aimed at reviewing the activities of the agency on achievements and areas to improve on such as immunization across the state.
He added, “ The review is to see what we have been doing, such as the service utilization rate, and how we can make sure that we utilize the money and ensure that our enrollees get the value for their money, hence we need to have this review meeting and also another way of encouraging our officers in charge to see how we can improve their capacity to ensure that they retire the funds properly, treat our enrollees with care as well as keeping the records and data appropriately”.
He noted that the agency had no fewer than 274 facilities in each ward of the state and 21 secondary services, adding that in total, the agency had 315 facilities”
Further, he revealed that the agency is having conversation with private facilities, saying the intention is to achieve the universal health coverage.
He assured that the agency would strengthen the health insurance coverage to each of the political wards across the 25 local council of the state.
According to him, Mashegu,Bida and Suleja were the local Councils in Niger State with high Borden, and the intervention funds will be divided in these three Councils to see how the insurance services can be improved.
He lauded Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago’s administration for the support to the agency, adding that the agency had accessed the counterpart funds.
He also appreciated the development partners for their humanitarian gesture to the agency which is enhancing the activities of the agency.
The 2024 budget review meeting was well attended by the desk officers of the agency across the state.