Radda Bags Health Insurance Award, Vows to Prioritize Universal Health Coverage
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has been honoured with a Special Recognition Award at the Maiden National Summit of State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs) held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The recognition was based on the governor’s transformative contributions to medical education, primary healthcare, and digital insurance transparency, which have significantly expanded access to quality and affordable healthcare for citizens.
Radda was the only governor from Northern Nigeria to receive the recognition at the two-day national summit.
Speaking through the state Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu, the governor expressed appreciation to the organisers and stakeholders for convening the gathering, and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Radda stated that his administration has recorded significant progress in strengthening the healthcare sector through deliberate investments in primary healthcare revitalisation, expansion of health insurance coverage, and community-based healthcare interventions.
He said the state Contributory Healthcare Management Agency has been driving the state’s healthcare reforms and ensured the expansion of health insurance enrollment to include vulnerable groups hithetto excluded from access to affordable healthcare services.
He further congratulated Dr. Muhammad Safana, head of the state health insurance agency, on his emergence as Chairman of the Forum of State Social Health Insurance Agencies, describing the development as a reflection of his competence and dedication.
Radda applauded President Bola Tinubu for increasing the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) allocation from one percent to two percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
This, he said, has significantly expanded resources available for primary healthcare and health insurance coverage nationwide.
The Governor observed that as of April 2026, State Social Health Insurance Agencies had collectively enrolled over 14.1 million Nigerians into the health insurance schemes, representing nearly two-thirds of national coverage.
“Katsina State is proud to be part of this achievement. We will continue to strengthen accountability, mobilise domestic resources and scale enrollment to ensure that more citizens have access to affordable and quality healthcare,” he stated.
Declaring the summit open, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, called for increased funding of the health sector and stressed the need to complement financial investments with modern healthcare facilities and adequate human resources to meet the growing healthcare needs of Nigerians.
Earlier, Chairman of the Forum of State Social Health Insurance Agencies, Dr. Muhammad Safana, described the summit as a historic platform that brought together representatives of all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to advance the goal of Universal Health Coverage.
Dr. Safana said that the enrollment of more than 14 million Nigerians into the health insurance schemes by sates agencies demonstrates the effectiveness of decentralised health insurance systems driven by state ownership, community engagement and accountability.
He said the summit was designed to promote collaboration, innovation, learning and collective problem-solving while charting a stronger path toward achieving Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
The summit, themed “Economic Realities and the Universal Health Coverage Dream: Mobilising States for Scalable Health Insurance,” attracted top stakeholders in the health sector from across the country.
