By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency, AKSHIA, Tuesday, won the ‘Fastest Growing Agency in Health Care Coverage in 2025′ Award.

The Award was given to the Agency by the Institute of Health Insurance and Managed Care, where the Chairman of the Institute, Dr Hope Uweja, acknowledged and commended State Governments for the initiative by establishing State Health Insurance Schemes, describing them as key drivers in Nigeria’s pursuit of Universal Health Coverage, UHC.

According to Uweja, he has gained deep experience and understanding of the sector for the past eight years, therefore, he has appreciated the impact these schemes are making, therefore, acknowledged the efforts of states like Akwa Ibom for their commitment to expanding health insurance coverage.

He congratulated the awardees and welcomed participants from across the country to the event, which recognised outstanding contributions to the growth of the sector.

He said: “If there is one aspect of our health insurance ecosystem that I particularly appreciate, it is the establishment of the State Health Insurance Schemes. These schemes are playing a significant role in paving the way towards achieving UHC in Nigeria.”

Receiving the prestigous award, which was presented by the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Executive Secretary, Dr Arthur Igbemi, on behalf of AKSHIA, said the scheme, launched on September 20, 2024, was established to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all residents of Akwa Ibom State.

According to Igbemi, the ‘ARISECare’ programme had already enrolled over 47,000 residents and was now expanding to cover more than 52,000 civil servants and their dependents, with a target of reaching up to 200,000 people, before the end of 2025, while he attributed the agency’s success to the strong support of the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, whom he hailed for prioritising healthcare services in his development agenda.

He also highlighted ongoing projects in the state, including the construction of a Medical City, Emergency Services Unit, and a new model Primary Healthcare Centre, some of which were recently commissioned by the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the Governor’s vision. He is committed to keeping rural communities healthy, enabling them to remain close to home, farm, and generate income”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, AKSHIA Governing Board, Dr Edikan Ekwere, also expressed joy for the recognition and award won by the Agency.

Ekwere dedicated the award to God Almighty, the Governor, the AKSHIA board members, and the Agency’s staff for their dedication and hard work.

“I am so elated and in high spirits, and it’s no small feat for us to receive this award just six months after launching our programme in September, 2024. For me, it is a great joy, and I thank God for making this day possible.

“The advent of Health Insurance Scheme in Akwa-Ibom State is a great relief to our people. Through this programme, we are reducing out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare and promoting economic productivity. This is one of government’s interventions that transcends all fabric of Akwa-Ibom State.

“The Governor has been instrumental in setting up the health insurance board and giving us a clear mandate. Since then, we’ve been working tirelessly towards achieving this milestone,” he said.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Akwa Ibom Liaison Office, Abuja, aMr Aniekan Akpan, lso thanked the governor for his proactive leadership in enabling the state’s participation in the health insurance programme.

“We want to thank the Governor for being so proactive in activating all that was needed for the state to join the health insurance team.

“Since we started, we have improved health coverage for low-income earners, which is crucial for the health insurance scheme to take off in the state.

“The setting up of the board to monitor the agency’s activities has been pivotal, and we are already reaping the benefits of this pragmatic leadership, as evidenced by this award”, he added.