Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Radda, has declared health insurance enrollment mandatory for all government employment programmes in the state, as beneficiaries under the Katsina State Health Insurance Scheme increased from 355,000 in 2023 to 583,460 in 2026.
Radda announced the policy on Friday while flagging off the enrollment of 184,105 beneficiaries into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) across the state’s 361 political wards at the General Hospital, Katsina.
He said the 64 per cent increase in enrollment within three years demonstrated his administration’s sustained commitment to expanding access to affordable and quality healthcare, particularly for poor and vulnerable residents.
“Today, we are not merely launching another programme. We are taking another bold step towards ensuring that healthcare becomes a right and not a privilege for every citizen of Katsina State,” the governor declared.
Radda said Katsina had emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading states in healthcare financing and service delivery, noting that the Katsina State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KTSCHMA) won the National Health Insurance Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025.
He disclosed that seven states had undertaken peer-review visits to Katsina to study its innovative healthcare financing model, while countries including Kenya had adopted aspects of the state’s approach.
The governor said his administration had revitalised more than 200 Primary Healthcare Centres, established modern facilities, including the Imaging and Cancer Treatment Centre and Dialysis Centre, and upgraded several Comprehensive Health Centres into General Hospitals.
He added that about 98 per cent of state and local government employees were already enrolled in the health insurance scheme, while retirees, members of the Hisbah Corps, Katsina State Community Watch Corps and persons with disabilities benefit from free health insurance provided by the government.
Radda said an Executive Memorandum would be issued immediately to ensure compliance with the mandatory enrollment policy across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“Health insurance is now mandatory in Katsina State because we are determined to protect our people from avoidable financial hardship arising from medical expenses,” he stated.
According to him, the policy aligns with the Federal Government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda and his administration’s Building Your Future development blueprint.
The governor further disclosed that the state had strengthened the Katsina State Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency through an innovative financing model under which 50 per cent of capitation funds are channelled directly to healthcare facilities.
He said the arrangement had helped reduce drug stock-outs, improve accountability and strengthen healthcare delivery.
Radda also revealed that the state government recently paid ₦243 million as counterpart funding for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund matching grant.
He commended KTSCHMA’s Director General, Mohammed Safana, for his leadership and professionalism, noting that his election as Chairman of the Forum of Chief Executive Officers of State Social Health Insurance Agencies reflected the confidence reposed in him by his colleagues nationwide.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Hon. Musa Adamu Funtua, said the administration had revitalised more than 200 Primary Healthcare Centres, recruited over 1,000 frontline healthcare workers, expanded the Drug Revolving Fund by 400 per cent and increased funding for the Free Medicare Programme by 207 per cent.
The commissioner said KTSCHMA’s capitation and fee-for-service financing model had transformed healthcare delivery at the General Hospital, Katsina, through the renovation and expansion of critical facilities, revival of an abandoned operating theatre, establishment of a Special Care Baby Unit and provision of modern medical equipment.
Also speaking, the KTSCHMA Director General, Mohammed Safana, described the BHCPF enrollment as a historic milestone in Katsina’s journey towards Universal Health Coverage.
He said the fund would provide essential primary healthcare services, including antenatal care, immunisation, chronic disease screening and other lifesaving interventions for poor and vulnerable residents.
Safana disclosed that, as of July 2026, KTSCHMA had enrolled more than half a million residents, while the scheme financed 205,693 severe malaria treatments, 142,293 hypertension cases, 83,787 diabetes cases and 17,907 hospital bed days within the last 12 months.
He added that the scheme also financed 223 Caesarean Sections and 150 ERPC procedures, contributing to improved maternal and child healthcare.
Safana appealed to Governor Radda to approve the full implementation of the Katsina State Health Trust Fund, saying the initiative would institutionalise sustainable healthcare financing and preserve the gains recorded in the sector for future generations.
The Medical Director of General Hospital, Katsina, Dr. Abdulrahman Muhammad, commended the governor for providing the hospital with an Electronic Medical Records system, solar power generators and a dedicated cleaning company.
He said the solar power project had significantly reduced electricity costs, allowing the hospital to channel more of its internally generated revenue towards medical equipment and facility maintenance.
Radda reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage, stressing that collaboration, innovation and accountability would remain central to ensuring that every resident of Katsina State has access to affordable, quality and sustainable healthcare services.
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