THE International Finance Cooperation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group has stated its readiness to increase access to health care for people of all income levels and raising standards of quality and efficiency in the sector for all Nigerians.
Consequently, the IFC and the national health insurance scheme announced plans to work together to help extend health insurance to more Nigerians.
This initiative is part of the larger IFC-World Bank strategy to support improvements in health care in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to a  statement made available to BusinessWorld, IFC and NHIS signed an agreement to develop an information technology system and new business practices to enhance the performance of NHIS and expand health insurance coverage in Nigeria. The partnership will also include a review of laws, regulations, and institutions that govern the health care sector. In addition, IFC and NHIS will devise a strategy to finance improvements.
Mohammed Dogo-Muhammad, NHIS’s CEO and executive secretary, said, “NHIS is pleased to partner with IFC on this important initiative to improve efficiency and performance of Nigeria’s health insurance system and ultimately increase access to health care for all.
Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor, IFC country manager for Nigeria, said, “By implementing reforms based on international best practices, IFC and NHIS will help improve Nigeria’s health insurance, ensure its sustainability, and bring health care to Nigerians that need it the most.”
Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Scheme was established in 1999 to regulate and administer social health insurance in Nigeria. NHIS currently covers about 4.5 million people, about three percent of the country’s population. Nigeria’s leadership has identified the scaling-up of NHIS to reach 100 percent coverage by 2015 as a top national priority.