The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has called for the urgent reconstitution of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) board to ensure the effective implementation of universal health coverage across Nigeria.
NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, made the appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos, following recent federal legislation on health insurance.
“We are concerned that despite the President’s appointment of the board chairman, the full board is yet to be reconstituted,” Oyerinde stated.
He noted that the prolonged delay, which has lasted several weeks, undermines the scheme’s operations and deprives millions of Nigerians of the health benefits the NHIA is designed to provide.
“Governance matters should not be handled lightly. The board’s statutory role is being compromised by this inaction,” he stressed.
Oyerinde further argued that the continued delay violates the NHIA Act, which established the board and assigned it specific responsibilities.
He urged the Minister of Health to expedite the reconstitution process, warning that failure to do so could jeopardise the long-term sustainability of the health insurance scheme.
It will be recalled that in March, President Bola Tinubu appointed Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe, a former senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, as Chairman of NHIA. The appointment, effective from 11 March, is for an initial term of four years.
