BY Dayo Johnson
Akure—THE National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS yesterday gave approval to state governments willingness to set up parallel schemes to do so provided they adhered strictly to the guidelines setting up the agency.

South West Zonal Coordinator of the Scheme, Mr. Taye Adeleye, said in Akure after a one-day forum held for those who enrolled of the programme.

Adeleye said any effort aimed at promoting healthy living among Nigerians, would  be encouraged by the agency.

According to him “any state willing to set up its own separate health insurance scheme would only need to key into the guidelines that set up the NHIS which is the regulator. The target is to cover every Nigerian by 2015. If any state wants to log on to the programme by setting up  its agency, we are ready to support  such state as the industry regulator.”

We are promoting quality health among Nigerians and whatever legal and constitutional strategy to achieve this will be supported by the NHIS. States willing to have their own separate agency are welcome on board.”

Adeleye noted that over 4.5 million workers were covered in the formal sector of the NHIS programme being implemented in the public sector of the Nigerian economy.

He noted that the scheme which commenced in 2005 with 541, 920 enrollees,  had recorded tremendous growth due to improved awareness of the programme, adding that the target of the organisation was to cover all Nigerians by 2015.