BPP Hosts NHIA, Pledges Support For Healthcare Reforms
By Muhammad Faruk Bayu, Gombe
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have agreed to work together to promote transparency, good governance, and improved healthcare services in Nigeria.
This was the outcome of a visit by the Director-General of NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, and his team to the BPP headquarters in Abuja, where they were received by the BPP Director-General, Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun.
Dr. Adedokun praised the NHIA boss for his reforms and initiatives to address challenges in the health sector. He stressed that both agencies play important roles in national development and called on the NHIA to comply with procurement directives to enhance accountability.
He added that improving healthcare delivery is a collective responsibility, warning that weak systems and poor services could endanger citizens’ lives, cause youth mortality, and worsen economic inflation. He also pledged BPP’s support to NHIA in areas such as capacity building, public sensitization, and full implementation of reforms.
On his part, Dr. Ohiri explained that the visit was aimed at sharing NHIA’s mandate and building collaboration to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector agenda. He highlighted recent reforms, including the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, a 95% increase in hospital tariffs and capitation, stronger enforcement on HMOs for quick service delivery, the creation of a PR code for enrollees’ benefits, and mandatory NHIS enrollment for MDAs.
He also stressed the importance of training procurement staff to improve service delivery, noting that both agencies share a vision of transparency, accountability, and national development.
