The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Oheri, has pledged to deepen institutional reforms and improve healthcare service delivery after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) awarded the agency a 73 per cent score in its comprehensive systems review.
Speaking after the presentation of the ICPC review, Oheri described the assessment as an independent validation of the reforms undertaken by the authority over the past two and a half years.
He explained that the ICPC’s systems review examined the NHIA’s internal processes as well as feedback from external stakeholders, providing an objective evaluation of the agency’s performance.
According to him, the 73 per cent rating, which ICPC classified as an “A” grade, reflects the dedication and hard work of NHIA staff in advancing the Federal Government’s drive towards Universal Health Coverage.
“The review gives us an external perspective on how we are performing. It confirms that we are making progress, but it also highlights areas where we must improve,” he said.
Oheri noted that while the agency was encouraged by the positive rating, it would not become complacent, stressing that significant work remained to ensure every Nigerian could access quality healthcare services under the health insurance scheme.
He said the reforms being implemented were in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on universal health coverage and under the guidance of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
The NHIA boss acknowledged that challenges such as delays in accessing healthcare services still existed but assured Nigerians that the authority was taking practical steps to address them.
He disclosed that the agency had deployed 22 NHIA personnel to hospitals across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to identify and resolve complaints from enrollees in real time.
“Our officers are stationed in hospitals to ensure that issues are identified quickly and resolved. While it is impossible to have a system without challenges, the important thing is having mechanisms in place to respond promptly whenever they arise,” he said.
Oheri also highlighted improvements in the agency’s financial management, noting that previously manual financial processes had been fully digitized.
He added that outstanding audit backlogs inherited by the authority had been cleared, enabling greater financial accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.
The Director-General emphasized that the NHIA would continue working with stakeholders across the health sector to strengthen service delivery and sustain ongoing reforms aimed at improving healthcare access for Nigerians.
