Beneficiaries of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria in primary healthcare centres across the country have been assured of more accountable and transparent service delivery.
The Director-General of the Edo State Health Insurance Commission (EDOHIC), Barr. Augusta Ikpea, disclosed this at a revalidation sensitisation programme held in Oredo and Egor Local Government Areas of the state.
According to Ikpea, the validation of BHCPF enrollees using the National Identification Number (NIN) will depend on their registration on the national social register, with the NIN chosen as the most applicable means of identification.
She said, “This gathering is of utmost importance because its partners are the community and facility leadership levels, which are the backbone of our primary healthcare system.”
Ikpea added that the BHCPF validation process was not just administrative but a critical step to ensure that resources are rightly directed, services reach those who need them most, and the healthcare system grows stronger through NIN integration.
“We are building a more accountable, transparent, and sustainable foundation for healthcare financing in Edo State,” she stressed.
Speaking at the event in Egor and Oredo council headquarters, the Head of Planning, Research and Statistics at EDOHIC, Dr. Omoregbe Owen, expressed excitement over the revalidation exercise between the Commission and the BHCPF.
“We are very excited that stakeholders at different levels in our communities under the BHCPF have begun to mobilise facility managers and assistants, ward development committee chairmen, as well as town criers, to be part of this sensitisation meeting. This is to prepare vulnerable persons for the forthcoming BHCPF re-enrolment exercise as well as the NIN validation programme,” Owen said.
The meeting followed a directive of the Federal Government that, henceforth, access to free healthcare services will depend on registration on the national social register, with the NIN adopted as the most applicable means of identification.
During the engagement, stakeholders were informed that beneficiaries are expected to present their NIN for validation to access the programme. However, for those without an existing NIN, arrangements have been made for on-the-spot generation of new ones to ensure no one is left behind.
EDOHIC further noted that the programme specifically targets vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the poorest of the poor—ensuring that those most in need can access quality healthcare without financial hardship.
The revalidation exercise will cover 43 communities in Edo South, 37 in Edo Central, and 55 in Edo North, guaranteeing fair representation and inclusion across the state.
Addressing participants, the Commission emphasised that integrating the NIN system into the BHCPF is designed to strengthen transparency, accountability, and equitable distribution of healthcare benefits.
Stakeholders at the event described the move as a “people-centred innovation,” noting that it would simplify enrolment, reduce duplication, and ensure that only eligible residents benefit from the scheme.
With over 300,000 Edo residents already enrolled under various health insurance programmes and more than 122 facilities onboarded, the revalidation exercise is expected to expand universal health coverage and further safeguard the health of women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
