‎‎Kogi State has emerged as the state with the highest percentage of adult with health insurance coverage in Nigeria, overtaking states like Lagos, Oyo, Cross River and several others according to a 2023 report by StatiSense.

‎According to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams, the achievement comes barely six years after the establishment of the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency (KGSHIA) in April 2019, and places the state ahead of Lagos, Oyo, Cross River, Delta and several others in a nationwide ranking of states in health insurance coverage relative to population.

‎”The latest data indicates that 11 percent of adults in Kogi State (aged 18 and above) are currently covered by one form of health insurance or the other, making the state account for the highest rate of health insurance coverage in the country.

‎Lagos follows with 9 percent, while Oyo, Cross River and Delta record 7 percent each.

‎The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Osun State stand at 6 percent, with Borno, Abia, Bayelsa, Jigawa and Edo each at 4 percent” he stated.

‎The Commissioner attributed this milestone to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s consistency in policy implementation and expansion of health insurance coverage to local government workers, pensioners, pregnant women, children under the age of 5, dependants of fallen heroes People Living With Disability and other vulnerable groups in the state since the Kogi Health Insurance Agency began operations shortly after its establishment in 2019.

‎Dr. Adams noted that by August 2021, over 31,000 vulnerable residents had been enrolled under the Vulnerable Group Health Insurance Programme (VGHIP).

‎He emphasized that figures from the health insurance agency show a total of 247,253 enrollees are captured across various programmes by the agency.

‎”These include 97,655 under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), 11,276 under State Equity coverage, 64,418 State Civil Servants, 28,022 Local Government Employees, 1,487 Voluntary Contributors and 44,395 under the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP)”.

‎He stated that the National Health Insurance Agency reports a national rise in health insurance enrolment from about 16.7 million Nigerians in late 2023 to 19.2 million by the end of 2024 which represents a 40 percent increase in just one year with Kogi’s contribution standing out as a model for other states.

‎The Commissioner extended Governor Ododo’s commendation to the management of the state health insurance agency for their dedication to expanding access to affordable healthcare, stressing that the state’s focus on rural inclusion, technology-driven enrolment and partnerships with development agencies has created a model now being emulated by other states.

‎He pledged the Governor’s resolve to sustain expansion of health insurance coverage scheme to ensure more residents of the state enjoy access to affordable and quality healthcare, in line with the state’s contribution to achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030.