Olu Samuel, Lokoja

As part of it efforts to achieve universal health coverage,The Kogi state government said but has so far enrolled 167,000 persons in it’s health insurance scheme.

The Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, Adekunle Aledare, disclosed this on Monday in Lokoja shortly after defending the agency’s 2025 budget.

He said that the agency is projecting to enrol an additional 150,000 persons into the health insurance scheme in 2025.

“So far we have enrolled 167,000. However, We have the mandate to ensure that all residents of Kogi State have access to quality and good health care services without suffering financial hardship while going for those services.” The Commissioner said

He charged Kogi citizens to embrace health insurance, adding that it remains the best way to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

“With health insurance, the people’s health is assured. We are prepared to ensure that the people of Kogi State have access to good health services without suffering financial hardship”.

According to him, “Nobody deserves to be pushed into extreme poverty after an episode of payment for hospital expenditure.

“We don’t expect people to become poor as a result of paying for health services. That is why they need a prepayment mechanism, which is health insurance, to provide them with financial protection and give them mental and financial peace so that they can have quality life,” he stated.