From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The Health Access 2025 Roundtable Dialogue on Health Financing and Digital Health Acceleration took place at Raffle Suites in Kaduna.
Organized by the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, the event gathered policymakers, financiers, tech innovators, and civil society partners to develop a path toward achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
Ibukun Ajegbe, Program Manager of the Maternal Health Advocacy and Communications Project at the ACIOE Foundation—supported by MSD for Mothers and partnered with Nigerian Health Watch—delivered the opening remarks. Ajegbe described the roundtable as a state-level dialogue aimed at reviewing progress on health financing initiatives, identifying gaps in funding, infrastructure, and policy, and collaboratively developing scalable strategies to enhance primary care financing and advance the Nigeria Digital Health Initiative (NDHI).
In his welcome address, the Honourable Commissioner of Health
Hajiya Umma K. Ahmed.
Emphasized the urgency of the situation.
Despite the recently revised National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Act and President Alh. Ahmad Bola Tinubu’s directive to increase insurance enrollment, with fewer than 10 percent of Nigerians currently covered, and out-of-pocket spending remaining unacceptably high. He stressed that these gaps put vulnerable households at significant financial risk.
The Commissioner connected the dialogue to Governor Dr. Senator Uba Sani’s commitment to strengthening health financing through the Kaduna State Health and Medical Agency (KADCHMA) and to accelerating digital innovation in the sector.
He called for increased collaboration, expanded digital infrastructure, and more flexible, inclusive financing mechanisms—especially for informal workers, women, and low-income households.
The roundtable aimed to address several strategic questions: How can state-led health financing and digital integration be scaled? What investments and partnerships are necessary to close access and affordability gaps? How can fintech, mobile money, micro-payment models, and regulatory sandboxes promote enrollment growth and sustainability? What metrics are most effective for tracking equity, digital maturity, and financial protection?
Key partners in this effort include the ACIOE Foundation, MSD for Mothers, Nigerian Health Watch, KADCHMA, and the Kaduna State Government. The dialogue also welcomed major financial stakeholders, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Bank of Industry, various fintech companies, and several commercial banks, all of which are expected to explore ways to leverage their platforms for innovations in health financing.
Discussions focused on treating health care as a business, similar to the agricultural sector. Participants explored how banks could provide loans and private sector funds to enhance the health ecosystem. The goal is to increase health insurance coverage, develop new insurance products, and ultimately reduce maternal mortality by improving access to affordable, quality, and digitally enabled care.
Speaking to newsmen at the side of the dialogue, Director‑General of the Kaduna Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA), Mallam Hassan Abubakar, outlined a bold vision to harness digital platforms for universal health coverage. He explained that the state is confronting persistent challenges in financing and access, and sees technology as the key to bridging those gaps.
According to him, by inviting fintech firms, ICT providers, and major banks, Kaduna aims to create a seamless enrollment system that reaches even the most underserved communities.
Mallam Hassan highlighted the foundational role of Governor Dr. Senator Obasani’s first policy – a landmark financial-inclusion law that has already banked more than two million residents of Kaduna.
“That groundbreaking platform is the foundation upon which we are building today,” he said, adding that the initiative has opened a massive, previously unbanked population to formal financial services.
The authority now seeks to extend that reach into health insurance, offering an easy‑to‑use digital gateway for enrollment.
The Director-General noted the diverse lineup of partners present, including think tanks from Lagos and Abuja, health policy experts from Kano, and representatives from several financial institutions, such as Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, Polaris Bank, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“We are here to deepen the conversation, pool ideas, and explore how each of these institutions can contribute to expanding health‑insurance coverage,” he remarked, emphasizing the collaborative spirit driving the effort.
Mallam Hassan emphasized that the ultimate goal is to eliminate financial barriers and enhance health outcomes throughout Kaduna State. By leveraging mobile money, micro‑payment models, and regulatory sandboxes, the authority hopes to unlock enrollment growth and ensure sustainability
“We are treating health as a business, just as we have done with agriculture,” he said, urging stakeholders to develop innovative products that can reach informal workers, women, and indigent households.
The organizers expressed their gratitude to the ACIOE Foundation, MSD for Mothers, and all partners for facilitating this strategic dialogue. They reaffirmed their commitment to co-creating implementable pilot models, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and establishing concrete commitments that will promote equitable health insurance expansion and digital health integration in Kaduna and beyond.
The summit concluded with a commitment from all participants to co-create and implement pilot projects, as well as strengthen cross-sector partnerships.
As Kaduna advances its digital health agenda, the collaboration between the government, fintech, and traditional banks is expected to accelerate the rollout of the Nigerian Digital Health Initiative, bringing affordable, quality care to every corner of the state.
The story will continue to unfold as the state leverages technology to turn the vision of universal health coverage into reality.
The organizers expressed their gratitude to the ACIOE Foundation, MSD for Mothers, and all partners for facilitating this strategic dialogue.
They reaffirmed their commitment to co-creating implementable pilot models, strengthening cross-sector partnerships, and establishing concrete commitments that will promote equitable health insurance expansion and digital health integration in Kaduna and beyond.
