Nigerian Governors Pledge commitment to Health Insurance Scheme

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said it was committed to State Health Insurance Scheme for efficient primary healthcare system that would deliver priority health needs to Nigerians.
Chairman of the Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state, stated this while briefing the media on the outcome of the forum’s meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja.
Yari, who read the communique from the meeting, said the forum received briefing on “Roadmap to Achieving Universal Health Coverage at the Subnational Level.”
He said that governors pledged to maintain ongoing reforms, including domesticating the State Health Insurance Scheme to achieve strong and efficient primary healthcare systems that would deliver priority health needs to all Nigerians.
Yari said the forum pledged to work with the National Assembly to ensure the inclusion of States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) project in the external borrowing plan.
He said the forum would also collaborate with World Bank on SFTAS projects to strengthen ongoing fiscal reforms at sub-national level to achieve better public-sector management and fiscal sustainability.
“Governors noted that the effective implementation of the SFTAS project will substantially increase available fiscal resources for productive public spending at the State level in the medium-term. We also believe that it will help state governments to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization, public investment and debt sustainability,’’ he said.
He expressed the forum’s condolence to the people and government of Sokoto, Kastina and Ogun states over recent attacks and disasters which claimed lives and property in the states.
He said that the proposed meeting between governors and security chiefs had not held because some of the security bosses critical to the discussion were away on national assignments outside the country.
“Some just came back last night and some are still outside the country. This is why we have not been able to have it, but we are still on the agenda to meet the security chiefs so that we can discuss the issue of security nationwide.”
Bilkisu Pai