Assessment of the Implementation of National Health Insurance Policy in Nigeria

Abstract

Affordable and inclusive system of health care delivery for the citizens is a requirement for any nation that desires rapid socio-economic development. It is in realization of this that the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended) under the chapter on Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, Section 17, Sub-Section 3(d) declared that; "the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons”. Pursuant to this constitutional provision coupled with the quest to extend the range of healthcare delivery, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was established. NHIS is a social security system established by Decree 35, of 1999 (now Act 35) and became operational after it was officially launched by the Federal Government in 2005. The objective of the scheme is to ensure Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) for all Nigerians by the year 2015; especially poor and vulnerable Nigerians. To this end, the paper seeks to examine the implementation of the scheme in Nigeria. The methodology adopted is the content analysis and the studies are anchored on the elite theory as framework of analysis. The paper observed that there are challenges that stand between the scheme and the realization of its objective among which are, inadequate funding and inadequate awareness. It recommends among others that, the need to diversify sources of funding the scheme by creating a Special Tax Fund. This will ensure sustainability in the funding of the scheme; while public awareness of the existence of the scheme especially among rural people is intensified