Health
NSIA Outlines Aggressive Healthcare Expansion Plan
**As Authority’s Infrastructure Intervention Excites Reps Committee Chairman
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority on Monday received members of the House of Representatives who were in Lagos to inspect projects undertaken by the Authority and their impact on the economy.
Key areas of focus for the Lagos visits were Healthcare, Infrastructure and Agriculture.
The Ad-hoc Committee was constituted by the House of Representatives to investigate the activities of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) since the inception of the Authority.
The committee during the visit hailed the management of the NSIA on their intervention in the healthcare sector.
The members of the House commenced their visit at the NSIA – LUTH Cancer Centre where the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, said the lawmakers were impressed with the quality of service being rendered to Nigerians at the cancer centre.
Since its inception, healthcare has been a keen area of focus for the Authority, deriving from which the NSIA Healthcare Development Investment Company was established to catalyze private sector investments to address infrastructure gaps, improve manpower, forge strategic collaborations, and promote healthier sg enrolment in healthcare services across the country.
Established in 2019, the NLCC – an outpatient cancer centre equipped with modern medical infrastructure has attended to over 10,000 unique persons living with cancer and has also deepened the capacity of medical and non-medical professionals within the oncology space.
Over the years, NLCC has reduced capital flight from medical tourism occasioned by cancer, created direct and indirect jobs and improved access to quality cancer care, thereby expanding possibilities for people living with cancer.
In addition to NLCC, the NSIA has also invested in two modern medical diagnostic centres collocated within the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Federal Medical Center, Umuahia respectively.
NSIA is now in the process of scaling these interventions, with 3 additional Oncology centres, 23 additional diagnostic centres and 7 catheterization laboratories across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. NSIA’s wholly-owned medical services portfolio company, Medserve, has been set up to implement these projects.
The Committee Chairman said the facilities align with the vision and commitment of the government to ensure affordable and efficient cancer care for Nigerians.
He explained, “We are investigating how much has been put into the development of this place. We have seen a lot of modern medical equipment that has been brought to this place.
“We are also seeing the quality of service being rendered to Nigerians and we are impressed and we will go back to report to the entire parliament and tell them that we need more of this in other places.”
He revealed that while talking to patients that they met during the oversight, they, “admitted that the charges here are the lowest compared to what happens in other areas like Ghana and other African countries. They are still pleading that the government should subsidize it more.
“We noted suggestions, which will be taken to the house to deliberate on. Nigeria already has centres for treating infectious diseases with qualified experts on it.
“But we will continue to develop more, we do not have enough cancer centres and there is a need for more investment in our health sector.
“And the government has assured us that they will continue to do that. And we at the parliament, will continue to appropriate sufficient funds.”
Also speaking during the visit by the lawmakers, the Managing Director of NSIA Healthcare Development Investment Company, Dr Tolulope Adewole, revealed ongoing expansion by the Authority, as part of efforts to contribute towards addressing the country’s healthcare challenges.
“We have started the expansion plan already, We had MoUs signed by different states, signed with different tertiary hospitals, and some of the equipment needed is ready to be disbursed.
“We hope to go live in the next 24 months We have a project in which we are building four diagnostic hospitals, in each geo-political zone and that will be done in two phases.
“We are upscaling from one oncology centre to four: one in the north, east, and finally Abuja. The cost is variable, so we can’t say what it will all cost us, ” he added.
The Committee also visited the Golden Fertilizer Company Limited blending plant resuscitated under the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative managed by the NSIA.
The PFI was designed in 2016 to consistently deliver commercially significant quantities of affordable, high-quality fertilizer to Nigerian farmers.
PFI was also designed to revive the local blending industry and adopt an import substitution approach by ensuring that over 60 per cent of urea and limestone required for the production of fertilizers are sourced locally at the revived blending plants.
The PFI has so far revived and established over 70 blending plants including Golden, and Apapa, – across the 6 geo-political zones in Nigeria.
The Initiative also facilitated local production and supply of NPK at affordable prices to farmers, which has correspondingly improved food security and slowed down food inflation in Nigeria.
Additionally, the PFI has reduced capital flight through import substitution, delivered over 60 million, 50kg bags of fertilizer and created more than 100,000 direct/indirect jobs within Nigeria.
By expanding production capacity for the blenders under the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, the prices of NPK have dropped from about N11,000 per 50kg bag in 2016 to 5,000 per 50kg bag in 2020.
During the inspection of the fertilizer blending plant, the Committee expressed satisfaction with the impact that the initiative is creating in terms of job creation, food availability, forex conservation, and increase in yield for farmers.
They, however, pledged to assist in ensuring that middlemen don’t take advantage of the good intentions of the government under the initiative to create scarcity of the product and exhort Nigerians.
The Committee rounded off their assignment with a visit to the Lagos Ibadan Expressway, a 127.6 km long, busy interstate road, that cuts through Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states.
The Chairman expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is one of the oldest and busiest routes in Africa with the potential to unlock significant economic activities and support the seamless movement of people, goods and services around Lagos, Oyo and Ogun States.
The Lagos Ibadan Expressway is one of the projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund.
The PIDF was established by the Presidency in 2018 to accelerate the execution of certain critical infrastructure projects pivotal for the country’s development.
The NSIA was mandated by the Presidency to act as project and fund managers for the projects under PIDF.
Other infrastructure projects under the PIDF also managed by the NSIA include Abuja – Kano Road and Second Niger Bridge.
The financing of these projects has the potential to yield between 274,000 to 616,000 direct and indirect jobs.
During the visit, the NSIA Executive Director of Investments, Mr Kola Owodunni, told the lawmakers that the Authority NSIA remains focused on enabling overall socio-economic growth through diversification for Nigerians across key sectors including innovation and technology, agriculture, power, gas industrialization and financial market infrastructure.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance has risen to more than 22 million.
The Director-General of NHIA, Mr Kelechi Ohiri, said this resulted from the implementation of the mandatory health insurance, which has gained momentum nationwide.
He said this on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Mr Ohiri said enrolment had increased to 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year growth, attributing this to stronger collaboration with state social health insurance agencies, ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour, employers, the private sector, and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions of the NHIA Act.
He said that the country had moved beyond policy formulation to delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the federal government’s health sector reform agenda.
According to him, Nigeria already has the necessary policies and legislation to achieve Universal Health Coverage, positing that the key challenge was effective implementation.
“The decisive variable is now implementation- consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Ohiri said that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing the legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that improving the experience of enrollees remained central to the Authority’s reform agenda.
According to him, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster resolution timelines, and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and healthcare providers.
He further added that NHIA had sanctioned facilities that failed to meet the required standards, adding that his organisation had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, while 95 per cent of the cases were concluded within prescribed timelines.
Mr Ohiri noted that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while non-compliant healthcare facilities had been sanctioned.
He said NHIA had also introduced service standards, including a one-hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent care, to improve access to timely and quality healthcare services.
The NHIA boss further disclosed that capitation payments to healthcare providers had been increased by 93 per cent.
He said fee-for-service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent to enable providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.
Mr Ohiri also highlighted interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, including support for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved access to healthcare for pensioners and retirees.
He said Universal Health Coverage could only be achieved if every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, had access to quality healthcare services.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new one-hour authorisation response time ultimatum policy introduced by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has received the full backing of SUNU Health Nigeria Limited.
This policy was introduced by the agency to ensure enrollees get prompt approval codes to access care.
Healthcare service providers have been urged to report any Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) that violates this initiative through an email, with the HMO in copy and a timestamp attached as evidence of the request. They may proceed to offer services to enrollees thereafter.
Speaking at the company’s second-quarter Providers’ Forum for the Lagos-Ogun region in Lagos recently, the chief executive of SUNU Health, Dr Moyosore Olomola, expressed optimism that this policy would improve healthcare delivery in the country, especially for enrollees, who crave quality service.
At the event themed Improving Quality and Access to Care Through Stronger Provider Network, and held at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba, Lagos, Mr Olomola reaffirmed the HMO’s commitment to operating within legal and operational frameworks to guarantee adequate care for enrollees.
“Access to care and quality of care remain key priorities in our healthcare systems. We know quite well that deliberate collaboration, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence are required to achieve these priorities.
“A strong provider network is doubtless the backbone of any effective healthcare system. It ensures that our mutual enrollees receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right price,” Mr Olomola, represented at the programme by the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Faith Nwachi, stated.
He further assured that SUNU Health would strictly adhere to the one-hour authorisation limit, stressing that this aligns seamlessly with one of the organisation’s core values—promptness and its corporate slogan, Humanity is the centre of our initiatives.
In a bid to further improve access and quality of care, SUNU Health also demonstrated its new operational software and Mobile app, aptly named SUNU Legacy.
Also speaking at the event, the NHIA Lagos State Coordinator (Ikeja), Dr Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, noted that the forum’s expected outcome is to significantly reduce delays in accessing medical care.
Other key expectations include ensuring continuity of care, improving patient outcomes, and strengthening accountability among HMOs.
Addressing specific pain points faced by enrollees, the NHIA Ogun State Coordinator, Mr Dare Adefeso, acknowledged that the agency had received complaints regarding out-of-stock drugs and the discrimination of enrollees by certain providers.
He affirmed that the NHIA is actively addressing these issues, stressing that moving forward, every facility must ensure enrollees are properly catered to regardless of their status, provided they have an active health insurance plan.
Corroborating the long-standing legacy of SUNU Health, the Ogun State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Aishat Tiamiyu, shared that her agency is responsible for public information dissemination and has been enrolled with SUNU Health for over 25 years.
Commending the HMO’s stellar service over two decades, she called for the immediate enrollment of new NOA staff into the scheme.
The Providers’ Forum remains one of the strategic channels employed by SUNU Health to consistently engage healthcare providers, understand their operational challenges, introduce new software updates, and solidify partnerships aimed at fostering premium healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the recall of a sexual enhancement product known as WAP Sensual Enhancement Capsules.
In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian agency disclosed that the recall is due to “undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients” in the product, whose country of origin is unknown, but is marketed and distributed online in the US through eBay.
It was emphasised that the recall is being “voluntarily” made by the manufacturer, Best Supplements Best Prices Company.
The detection of the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients was made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Laboratory analysis by the US FDA revealed that the product contained undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil, and flibanserin, which were not mentioned on the product label. Such substances may include phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors or related compounds commonly used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the statement by NAFDAC stated.
Sildenafil and tadalafil are ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
It was noted that these undeclared ingredients may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.
Flibanserin is the active ingredient in an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat low sexual desire in women. Flibanserin can cause drowsiness, sedation, dangerously low blood pressure, and fainting, especially when combined with alcohol.
Consumers have been encouraged to report compromised products (medicines or medical devices) to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf******@********ov.ng.
