National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, has described the appointment of Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe as Chairman of the NHIA Governing Council as a significant step toward revitalising health financing reforms in Nigeria.
Its Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri made the statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Abuja.
NAN reports that President Bola Tinubu had approved the appointment of Oloriegbe, a medical doctor and former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health during the 9th Assembly.
Ohiri noted that the NHIA leadership had a “highly engaging and productive meeting” with the new council chairman and expressed optimism about renewed efforts to ensure affordable, inclusive and sustainable healthcare for all Nigerians.
“Oloriegbe has long been a strong advocate for accelerating financial access to quality and affordable healthcare.
“We look forward to working with him and the council to advance equitable and inclusive health financing reforms across the country,” Ohiri said.
He added that Oloriegbe played a pivotal role in the passage of the NHIA Act during his tenure in the Senate and his return to the health policy space was seen by many stakeholders as timely and strategic.
Ohiri expressed confidence that under Oloriegbe’s leadership, NHIA would successfully drive the implementation of its mandate and catalyse reforms that would protect millions of Nigerians from catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditure.(NAN)
