By Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Contributory Health Management Agency has announced plans to enrol about 39,000 civil servants in its health insurance scheme as part of efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare and achieve Universal Health Coverage in the state.
Director-General of the agency, Alhaji Yusuf Abubakar, disclosed this during a media briefing in Sokoto, saying preparations for the formal sector programme had reached between 90 and 95 per cent.
Abubakar said the agency, established in 2018 and fully operational since 2021, was mandated to ensure that residents of Sokoto State have access to quality healthcare services.
He explained that the agency operates formal and informal sector programmes, including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), jointly supported by the federal and state governments.
According to him, the BHCPF currently operates in 132 wards across the state’s 23 local government areas, with plans to expand coverage to 244 wards by next month.
“The target has been set by the Federal Government to scale up the number of people covered, and directors and enumerators are currently in the field working to ensure that we achieve this,” Abubakar said.
He identified beneficiaries of the BHCPF as pregnant women, children under five, persons with special needs, vulnerable households and the elderly.
On the formal sector programme, Abubakar said the agency was finalising arrangements to enrol between 38,500 and 39,000 civil servants.
He disclosed that Memoranda of Understanding had been signed with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), while consultations had been held with about 50 affiliated unions.
According to him, the unions have agreed to participate in the programme, with the agency now awaiting a formal commencement date.
Abubakar said the scheme would cover a civil servant, spouse and four biological children below the age of 18, making a family package of six beneficiaries.
He added that additional dependants would attract an annual premium of between N12,000 and N20,000.
“The state government is proposing a contribution of between three and four per cent of the civil servant’s basic salary.
“We are expecting between N180 million and N200 million monthly to ensure that civil servants receive effective and quality healthcare,” he said.
The Director-General commended Sokoto State Governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu, for his continued support and commitment to the agency’s programmes.
He said the contributory healthcare model was designed to promote collective responsibility in healthcare financing while ensuring sustainable access to quality medical services across the state.
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