By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, has stepped up efforts to improve students’ welfare with the nationwide activation of the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme, TISHIP, giving thousands of students across the country access to organised health insurance coverage.

The university disclosed this during an emergency meeting of its Management Committee on TISHIP held on Tuesday at the institution’s headquarters in Abuja, where four additional Health Maintenance Organisations, HMOs, were unveiled to drive the implementation of the scheme.
The four HMOs — Healthspring, Noor, Novo and Precious, are to activate the 2026_2 phase of the programme, bringing to eight the number of HMOs appointed and assigned to cover the respective geopolitical zones under the scheme, which commenced with the 2026_1 phase in January.

The development marks a significant expansion of healthcare support for NOUN students, particularly those studying remotely and living in different parts of the country.

Chairman of the TISHIP Management Committee and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Shehu Usman Adamu, said the initiative underscored the university’s commitment to placing students’ welfare at the centre of its administration.

Adamu said the welfare of NOUN students remained a major priority of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, stressing that the insurance scheme was designed to ensure that students could pursue their academic programmes without being left vulnerable to the financial burden associated with healthcare.

Explaining the implementation framework, the DVC said every participating student would be enrolled through their respective study centres and issued a health insurance card, which would enable them to access medical services under the scheme.

He explained that students would be able to receive care at designated healthcare facilities in the states where they reside, thereby making the programme particularly suitable for NOUN’s geographically dispersed student population.

According to him, the university’s Directorate of Management Information System, MIS, had been directed to compile and provide comprehensive data on students in each senatorial district nationwide to facilitate seamless registration.

The data, he said, would include students’ names, registration numbers, email addresses and telephone numbers, which would subsequently be forwarded for enrolment with designated healthcare providers within the relevant senatorial districts.

Adamu said the programme would cover a range of medical services, stressing that the objective was to provide students with affordable, accessible and structured healthcare while they pursue their academic programmes.

He further disclosed that the university had received the list of hospitals selected to provide services under TISHIP.

The list, he said, would serve as the basis for the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between NOUN and the participating healthcare facilities.

According to him, the agreements would clearly define the responsibilities and obligations of the university and healthcare providers, with a view to ensuring effective service delivery to beneficiaries.

The DVC charged the HMOs to ensure efficient and responsive healthcare services to students assigned to them, saying the providers must align their operations with the university management’s commitment to improving student welfare.

The activation of TISHIP nationwide is expected to strengthen healthcare access for NOUN students, many of whom reside far from the university’s headquarters and conventional campus facilities.

The university said the scheme would ultimately promote students’ wellbeing by reducing barriers to accessing healthcare and ensuring that medical needs do not constitute an additional burden to their academic pursuits.

With eight HMOs now assigned across the country’s geopolitical zones, NOUN management said the programme would provide a broader and more coordinated healthcare network for its students as the institution continues to expand support for their welfare.