Nigerian Lawmakers Call On President Tinubu To Fund NHIS With Fuel Subsidy Savings

The the funds saved from the removal of fuel subsidies toward enrolling more Nigerians in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)…CONTINUE READING

This decision came following a motion put forth by Bashiru Dawodu, a representative from Lagos State. In his motion, Dawodu highlighted that the NHIS has yet to include vulnerable Nigerians, with only 5 million currently enrolled in the program.

Dawodu argued that by allocating the savings from the subsidy removal, which President Tinubu had pledged to redirect into healthcare, education, infrastructure, and other investments, the government could enroll more vulnerable citizens in the NHIS.

It’s worth noting that President Tinubu had removed fuel subsidies on May 29 and committed to channeling the resulting savings into various sectors.

Dawodu pointed out that the funds spent on fuel subsidies in 2022 amounted to N4 trillion ($9.7 billion) and N3.6 trillion in the first half of 2023. He emphasized that it costs roughly N5 billion to provide coverage for 5 million individuals annually at a rate of N1,000 per person.

The motion was swiftly adopted without debate, and it called on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to ensure the proper implementation and monitoring of this initiative.