Falana: National Health Insurance Authority Act Makes Health Insurance a Legal Right for All Nigerians

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has declared that every Nigerian is now legally entitled to compulsory health insurance under the National Health Insurance Authority Act of 2022.

In a statement released on Friday, Falana explained that the new law repealed the 2004 National Health Insurance Scheme Act, which failed to achieve broad population coverage or unify Nigeria’s fragmented health insurance system. He described the 2022 Act as “a major policy and legal shift toward making universal health coverage a legal and operational reality for all Nigerians.”

The Act provides for a Basic Minimum Package of Care for every citizen and establishes the Vulnerable Group Fund to support the poor, the elderly, children under five, and people living with disabilities. State governments are mandated to run their own health insurance schemes or engage third-party administrators until such systems are in place.

Falana further highlighted that on September 25, 2025, President Bola Tinubu directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enrol employees in the NHIA scheme. Under the directive, any entity seeking public procurement or government approval must present a valid NHIA-issued Health Insurance Certificate. A digital verification platform will also be introduced to ensure transparency and prevent forgery.

He stressed that the Act requires governments at all levels to provide a minimum care package in line with the National Health Act 2014, with state health schemes managing implementation.

Despite these reforms, Falana expressed concern that over 90 per cent of Nigerians remain uninsured, largely due to poverty. He urged federal, state, and local governments to adequately fund health insurance for vulnerable citizens, in line with the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“The ultimate goal of the National Health Insurance Authority Act,” Falana said, “is to guarantee affordable, quality, and comprehensive health care services for every Nigerian and legal resident through mandatory health insurance.”