The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), a subsidiary of the Nigerian Soverign Investment Authority (NSIA) and non-profit focused on health advocacy, has renewed its call for urgent investment in health insurance for vulnerable women.
Speaking at a fireside chat organised by the Fund in Abuja on Wednesday, NSSF Managing Director Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko warned that despite several policy interventions, access to maternal healthcare remains dangerously limited for millions of women, particularly in rural and low-income communities.
The NSSF call for urgent action is underscored by Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate, which remains among the highest globally. The country records approximately 1,000 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, placing it alongside South Sudan and Chad at the forefront of the global maternal mortality crisis.
“The numbers are grim—seven women die every day in Nigeria from pregnancy-related complications,” Chinye-Nwoko said. “We must break the barrier of affordability and make health insurance available to every woman who needs it.”
The event which focused on the role of health insurance in promoting women’s wellbeing brought together key stakeholders from the public and private health sectors, including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and representatives from the ministry of health.
Among the solutions highlighted was the expansion of free emergency caesarean services and treatment for Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF), already being piloted in over 20 Nigerian states through memoranda of understanding with tertiary hospitals.
However, Chinye-Nwoko stressed that these programs are not enough if funding, access, and awareness gaps persist.
“Even with existing free services, the maternal death rate continues to climb. That tells us the system is not reaching the women who need it most,” she said.
According to Chinye-Nwoko, Nigeria’s health insurance coverage remains abysmally low as less than 5% of the population is enrolled in any form of health insurance—leaving the majority to bear out-of-pocket expenses, which often leads to delayed or forgone care.
One of the main challenges discussed was the absence of a sustainable financing model to support health coverage for the poor.
“Somebody has to pay. The critical question is: how do we pool resources so that those who cannot afford healthcare are still protected?” she asked. Stakeholders proposed a combination of government-subsidised schemes, community-based financing models, and stronger private sector participation.
Another key obstacle to health insurance penetration is the complexity of registration and limited awareness.
Chinye-Nwoko advocated for digitised enrolment processes, including mobile apps and point-of-sale systems at community levels.
“People need to be able to register for health insurance as easily as they buy airtime. The NHIA has committed to working on this,” she noted.
She also emphasized the link between financial inclusion and healthcare access. “Women who are economically empowered are more likely to prioritize and afford preventive care,” she said. “Empowerment is not just a social issue—it’s a health imperative.”
She said through its WENIGER initiative, NSSF is leveraging youth networks to drive advocacy and gather real-time data on health insurance awareness and use at the community level.
“We are not just talking about what we read—we are talking about what we see on the ground,” Chinye-Nwoko explained. “This data shapes the way we design our programs and informs our policy briefs.”
According to her, health equity is not a luxury—it’s a necessity, and health insurance is central to delivering it.
Looking ahead, the NSSF plans to release policy briefs based on outcomes from the fireside dialogue.
These briefs, the MD explained will focus on practical steps for improving maternal health through insurance, with particular attention to prevention and digital accessibility.
“This conversation doesn’t end here. Our next steps are to ensure implementation support—working hand in hand with government agencies to bring these recommendations to life,” she noted.
Representing Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Chimam Onoka, noted that the NHIA is leveraging data to enhance financial inclusion and expand health insurance coverage for women in underserved communities.
He said these efforts are part of the NHIA’s broader strategy to achieve universal health coverage and reduce maternal mortality rates across the country.
Also speaking during the fireside chat, Mojisola Odeku, Senior Officer for Advocacy and Multilateral Relations at the Gates Foundation, highlighted that a substantial
number of women in Nigeria are financially constrained, which impedes their ability to access essential healthcare services.
Odeku emphasised the necessity of not only advancing women’s health rights but also mobilising resources to financially empower women, thereby fostering their growth and contributing to the nation’s overall development.
