Published March 8, 2021
Friday Olokor , Abuja
The National Health Insurance Scheme is making efforts to recover some missing funds estimated at about N 27 bn , its Executive Secretary , Prof . Mohammed Sambo, has said .
While expressing optimism that the NHIS Amendment Bill pending before the National Assembly for passage would change the face of health insurance in the country , he said a review of the NHIS Act would allow the agency to enroll more Nigerians .
He stated these in the progress report of the NHIS which he presented after a management meeting in Kaduna , but obtained by journalists in Abuja on Sunday .
Sambo said, “ We have about N 11 bn trapped in the Federation Account since 2014 . We have been meeting with the Minister of Finance to see how to get it back . Also, we have been pursuing another N 10 bn lodged in Heritage Bank and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been helping us to recover it .
“ When there was COVID – 19 , N 6 bn was taken from the NHIS account without notice . So, we are working on recovering those resources and we have agreed at the level of management that a proportion of the money recovered will be put on strategic investment. ”
The NHIS CEO also spoke on the progress made in improving the subscription for the insurance scheme , saying over 10 million Nigerians had now subscribed for it .
According to him , while about 10 ,269 , 996 enrolled into the scheme as of last Friday , the NHIS has been able to save money from its cost -saving reforms.
Sambo said, “ The population of Nigerians that have enrolled in the health insurance scheme has risen to 10 ,269 , 996 from 6 million earlier reported by the National Demographic Health Survey .”