Ondo Targets 500,000 Health Insurance Enrollees After National Summit
9th June, 2026
The Ondo State Government has set a target of increasing enrollment in its health insurance scheme to nearly 500,000 residents by next year as part of renewed efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Director General of the Ondo State Contributory Health Commission and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the National Summit of State Social Health Insurance Agencies, Abiodun Oyeneyi, disclosed this while speaking on the sidelines of the maiden summit hosted by the state.
According to Oyeneyi, the state currently has more than 300,000 enrollees under the Ondo State Contributory Health Scheme (ORANGHIS), covering public servants, informal sector participants, beneficiaries of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund Programme, and enrollees under the Abiyamo Maternal and Child Health Insurance Scheme.
He said the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had also announced plans to extend health insurance coverage to all retirees in the state, estimated at about 34,000, a move expected to significantly boost enrollment figures.
“The healthcare system of Ondo State is not going to remain the same,” Oyeneyi said, noting that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s participation in the maiden National Summit of State Social Health Insurance Agencies underscored the government’s commitment to expanding access to healthcare services.
He explained that beyond Ondo State, the summit provided a platform for stakeholders across Nigeria to deliberate on strategies for improving health insurance coverage and service delivery nationwide.
On participation by private individuals and informal sector operators, Oyeneyi said awareness campaigns had continued to yield positive results, citing collaborations with corporate organisations and foundations that sponsored health insurance coverage for hundreds of residents.
He stressed that health insurance remained one of the most effective ways of reducing the financial burden of healthcare on citizens while guaranteeing access to quality medical services.
Addressing concerns over drug shortages in health facilities, the commission’s boss said the state government had strengthened partnerships with the Ondo State Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency to improve drug availability across hospitals.
According to him, the out-of-stock rate for essential medicines has reduced significantly, aided by the recent commissioning of a pharmaceutical-grade warehouse through a partnership involving the state government and UNICEF.
He also highlighted government investments in logistics and distribution systems aimed at ensuring timely delivery of drugs and medical consumables to health facilities.
Oyeneyi maintained that while challenges remained, ongoing reforms were positioning the state towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that the summit was expected to produce a communiqué that would guide states and the Federal Capital Territory in advancing health insurance and healthcare delivery across the country.
The health insurance scheme, he explained, covers a broad range of services under the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services, including treatment of common illnesses such as malaria and respiratory infections, surgeries, antenatal care, deliveries and caesarean sections.
He further disclosed that Ondo State operates a Medical Assistance Programme that provides financial support for public servants requiring specialised medical care, helping beneficiaries access treatment without incurring overwhelming costs.
In another development Innovative Health Insurance Financing Proposal Revived in Nigeria .A prominent advocate for sustainable healthcare financing has renewed calls for an innovative funding mechanism to support Nigeria’s health insurance scheme, proposing a small daily contribution from mobile phone users across the country.
Speaking at a public engagement on healthcare financing, the speaker revealed that he had previously submitted the proposal directly to government authorities, who acknowledged its feasibility, although it was never implemented.
The proposal suggests dedicating the equivalent of one second of call charges per minute over a ten-minute period each day, amounting to approximately ₦6 daily per active mobile line. According to the speaker, with more than 200 million active phone lines currently in use nationwide, the initiative could generate about ₦1.2 billion every day.
He estimated that the scheme would yield approximately ₦36 billion monthly and up to ₦432 billion annually, creating a significant and sustainable pool of funds for healthcare financing.
Describing the initiative as “homegrown, sustainable, scalable, equitable, and universal,” he argued that universal health coverage can only be achieved through universal contribution. He emphasized that the small daily deduction would be largely unnoticeable to subscribers while collectively providing substantial resources for expanding healthcare access.
The speaker also highlighted the ease of collection, noting that telecommunications service providers could automatically reserve the contribution and remit it through a centralized system.
Reflecting on the proposal’s history, he observed that Nigeria had about 80 million active phone lines when the idea was first conceived. With the number now exceeding 200 million, he argued that early adoption could have significantly strengthened the country’s healthcare financing landscape.
The proposal adds to ongoing discussions on innovative financing mechanisms aimed at expanding health insurance coverage and achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
