2nd October, 2014
Over 7.2 million Nigerians have enrolled and benefitted from the National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS) since its inception in 2005, Dr Femi Thomas, the Executive Secretary of the scheme said.
Thomas, who made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja at the 9th Abuja International Trade Fair, said that management had adopted various strategies to ensure that Nigerians enroll in the scheme.
He said that registering for the NHIS with the use of mobile phone had helped many Nigerians to key into the scheme.
He said Nigeria was the first country to introduce the mobile phone method of assessing free health scheme in the world.
The executive secretary announced that Community Base Insurance Scheme to help people in rural areas access the scheme would be launched in November.
He said that management of the scheme was set to meet its target to enroll 24 million Nigerians into the scheme before the end of 2015.
He said eight regional offices as well as offices in all the 36 states of the federation including Abuja had been established.
Solomon Yagba, the President, Abuja Chambers of Commerce Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) said the fair was organised to sensitise the public on goods produced in Nigeria.
He said that ABUCCIMA, organisers of the fair, plans to build standard malls in the FCT like those in South Africa and the US.
Yagba said that when the malls are built, there would be no need for Nigerians to go abroad for shopping.