The Federal Government has added a new innovation to its health sector reforms with the launch of the much-awaited Group, Individual and Family Health Insurance Scheme Programme for citizens.

The government also announced the approval of information and communication technology infrastructure for the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, described GIFSHIP as a landmark achievement that would reshape the trajectory of healthcare financing in Nigeria.

Ehanire, who spoke in Abuja at the launch of GIFSHIP, explained that it was the government’s “omnibus enrolment platform within the NHIS to backup healthcare cover for Nigerians, especially those not currently captured under any form of health insurance by an employer.”

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NHIS, Prof Mohammed Sambo, described the scheme as a “milestone in the evolution of the new NHIS driven by our ongoing reform, which is focused on the actualisation of the presidential mandate to revitalise the scheme.”

Sambo said, “In line with this vision of Mr President, the NHIS is undergoing massive reforms through the three-point rebranding agenda anchored on restoring a value system that would transform NHIS into a credible result-driven organisation, engendering transparency and accountability in the entire operations of the scheme, and accelerating the drive towards achieving universal access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians.”

Ehanire said, “I therefore invite members of the polity, philanthropists and Nigerians in the diaspora, among others, to take advantage of this fantastic option to provide healthcare coverage for their families, communities, clans and enrol members of their constituencies, loved ones and relations, thereby giving them financial access to comprehensive quality healthcare at the point of need.”

The minister described GIFSHIP as a product of the lessons learned and the experience gained from implementing a previous programme, the Vital Contributors Social Health Insurance Programme.

He said, “The programme we are gathered to present today, is the Group Individual and Family Social Health Insurance Programme, known simply as ‘GIFSHIP,’ a product of the lessons learned and the experience gained from implementing a previous programme, the Vital Contributors Social Health Insurance Programme.

“This new programme addresses the challenges and barriers encountered during implementation of the VCSHIP, both by beneficiaries and operators. GIFSHIP eliminates known difficulties as it creates additional value by expanding and upgrading VCSHIP for better reach, service quality and user experience.’’