NHIA signs landmark MoUs with NBS and SERVICOM to strengthen data integrity, improve citizen experience, and restore public trust in health insurance delivery.
By Dr. Nafisat Makinde
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has entered two landmark partnerships aimed at restoring confidence in the nation’s health insurance system through stronger data management and better public service standards. The agreements, signed in Abuja on October 7, 2025, bring the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) into formal collaboration with the Authority.
Addressing participants at the signing, NHIA’s Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, explained that the partnership with the NBS would help the Authority track progress more accurately and design interventions supported by reliable statistics. He noted that credible data remains central to reforming health financing and reaching the poor and vulnerable who are often left out of official coverage figures.
Dr. Ohiri said the second memorandum, with SERVICOM, focuses on the quality of service and citizens’ satisfaction. He described it as a practical step toward ensuring that complaints are resolved quickly and that enrollees receive the care they pay for. “Access alone is not enough,” he emphasized. “We want Nigerians to experience health services that are fair, respectful, and effective.”
Providing context on recent reforms, the NHIA chief disclosed that more than 2,000 complaints were lodged by beneficiaries in the past year and that about nine out of ten were successfully resolved. The new SERVICOM partnership, he said, would strengthen these mechanisms by introducing clear service benchmarks and independent oversight for all accredited hospitals and health maintenance organizations.
On behalf of the NBS, the Statistician-General, Prince Semiu Adeniran, commended NHIA’s openness to statistical collaboration. He pledged that the Bureau would supply technical expertise and sectoral data support to ensure that planning and performance reviews within the health insurance sector are based on verifiable evidence. “Sound statistics are essential to good governance,” Adeniran remarked. “We will work with the NHIA to make health data more transparent and dependable.”
SERVICOM’s National Coordinator, Anthony Oshie, also welcomed the move, describing it as a defining step in Nigeria’s public service renewal. According to him, both agencies share the same goal putting the citizen first. “Our role is to make sure promises made to Nigerians translate into the quality of service they deserve,” he said.
With both agreements now operational, the NHIA reaffirmed its commitment to run a transparent, data-driven health insurance system that prioritizes citizens’ welfare, strengthens institutional accountability, and deepens trust in public healthcare delivery.
