Kano’s Health Insurance Model Sets Benchmark for Universal Healthcare, Says Expert
Kano State’s contributory health insurance scheme has been highlighted as a model for other Nigerian states seeking to achieve universal health coverage, following significant growth in enrolment, innovation and healthcare access over the past three years.
In an opinion article published by The PUNCH, health policy expert Sadiq Abdullateef said the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) has transformed the state’s health insurance system through reforms that expanded coverage and improved service delivery.
According to the article, enrolment under the scheme increased from 497,262 beneficiaries in June 2023 to 1,187,119 by May 2026, representing a 139 per cent increase and bringing more than one million residents under health insurance coverage.
The article noted that KSCHMA introduced Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team to provide emergency care, facilitate same-day enrolment and connect vulnerable residents with healthcare services and welfare support.
It also highlighted Kano’s Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, which enables faith-based institutions to pay health insurance premiums for indigent beneficiaries, including orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women. The initiative was described as an innovative approach to expanding healthcare access through domestic philanthropy.
The article further commended the state’s custodial health insurance programme, under which inmates in correctional facilities are enrolled in health insurance and healthcare workers are trained on referral pathways, describing it as a rights-based approach to inclusive healthcare.
On financial management, the report stated that KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025 and removed 8,875 ghost enrollees, saving ₦42.6 million for genuine beneficiaries. It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days through digital reforms.
The article added that 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services in 2025, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate, while the agency carried out 968 supportive supervisory visits to accredited health facilities to strengthen service quality and accountability.
The author concluded that Kano’s experience demonstrates how sustained political commitment, institutional reforms and community-based implementation can accelerate progress toward universal health coverage, urging other states to adopt similar strategies.
Source: The PUNCH (Opinion).
