Social health insurance: GIFSHIP targets Nigeria’s uninsured millions

Nigeria's pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has gained momentum with the official introduction of the Group, Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Product (GIFSHIP). This new scheme aims to provide affordable healthcare access to millions of Nigerians working in the informal sector and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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The formal launch of U- Health GIFSHIP today marks a bold step towards setting the right agenda for the gradual attainment of Universal Health Coverage for the country.

At the launch event in Lagos, Otunba Lekan Ewenla, Managing Director and CEO of Ultimate Health HMO, highlighted the initiative as a crucial step towards expanding healthcare access beyond the formal workforce. He noted that approximately 85 percent of Nigeria's population operates in the informal economy, making it essential to extend health insurance beyond government employees to improve national health outcomes.

Ewenla explained that the GIFSHIP is designed as a social program, offering a standardized benefit package developed under strict regulation by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). The annual premium is fixed at ₦38,718 per person, a non-negotiable rate according to NHIA guidelines. Ultimate Health HMO will implement the program in full compliance with NHIA regulations, including specific monthly capitation and fee-for-service payments.

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Only about 15 percent of Nigeria’s population works in the formal sector, while approximately 85 percent earns a living in the informal economy, making expansion of health insurance beyond government employees critical to improving national health outcomes.

The demand for health insurance outside the public sector has been growing, prompting the development of GIFSHIP. This product adapts the federal civil servants' benefit package to suit informal sector operators like traders, artisans, and transport workers. The initiative directly supports the NHIA's objective of achieving universal health coverage by ensuring healthcare is more affordable, accessible, and equitable for a broader segment of the population.

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The GIFSHIP is the sole actuarially developed benefit package for the Federal Civil Servants across the country and it was made mandatory for the all the federal civil servants which makes it to be a social programme.

Ewenla stated the primary goal is to penetrate the informal sector and make health insurance available to millions previously excluded from such systems. The scheme specifically targets organized groups within the informal economy, aiming to create a structured pathway for these individuals and families to access essential healthcare services.

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Our objective is simple: to penetrate the informal sector and make health insurance available to millions of Nigerians who have previously remained outside the system.