Ensuring increased health insurance coverage is a critical component of the Right to Health Project by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) to promote the health of the Nigerian people.
In addition to expanding healthcare coverage through health insurance, CSJ leads several cross-cutting and intra-governmental efforts to promote health coverage options and reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients.
On April 17th, 2023, CSJ organized a town hall meeting in Bauchi State with the objective of improving health insurance coverage and affordability. The meeting was held at the Double 4 International Conference Centre, Old Jos Road, Bauchi, Bauchi State.

The town hall meeting was a success, with sixty-two (62) participants in attendance, including thirty-six (36) males, twenty-six (26) females, and ten (10) persons with disabilities. The meeting aimed to sensitize and create awareness on the benefits of health insurance, provide a forum for dialogue, interaction, and accountability between the regulator, service providers, health insurance enrollees, prospective enrollees, and other beneficiaries of the compulsory health insurance regime in Bauchi State, and have a stakeholder agreement on strategies for increasing health insurance penetration.

At the meeting, Dr. H.D. Umar, Director Programs of the Bauchi State Healthcare Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA), spoke on the various health insurance programs of BASHCMA, how to access them, the amounts to pay, how to pay, and the services expected. Mr. Shamsuddeen Yahaya, Acting General Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Bauchi State Office, also spoke on the various health insurance programs of the NHIA and emphasized the new NHIA law that makes health insurance compulsory.

The town hall meeting resulted in increased awareness of the participants of the benefits of health insurance and increased knowledge of the process of enrolling for health insurance coverage. Some participants expressed a desire to kick start the process of enrolling for health insurance coverage after the meeting.

All participating organizations agreed to step down the knowledge, awareness, and sensitization gained from the town hall meeting to members of their various groups. Success stories include the Secretary General of the Federation of Muslim Women in Nigeria (FOMWAN) committing to stepping down the knowledge gathered to members of the association, high participation of persons living with disability, and the Nigerian Labour Congress committing to setting an agenda for the May 1st Workers Day Celebration using the discussion of increased enrollment and uptake of health insurance in Bauchi State.

Civil society organizations, media, and other partners at the town hall meeting agreed to continue the partnership to improve health insurance and healthcare in general in Bauchi State.