The House of Representatives has issued a resounding call to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to allocate the funds saved from the removal of fuel subsidies towards enrolling Nigerians in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
This significant resolution stems from a motion introduced by Bashiru Dawodu, a prominent lawmaker representing Lagos State.
During the presentation of his motion, Dawodu emphasized that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) falls short in providing coverage to vulnerable Nigerians, with only 5 million individuals currently enrolled.
He proposed that an allocation of N50 billion could extend NHIS coverage to an additional 5 million Nigerians, making it a compelling case for the government to redirect the savings achieved through subsidy removal.
Tinubu had previously removed fuel subsidies on May 29 and pledged to allocate the resultant savings to areas such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and various other investments.
The lawmaker underscored the critical role that these subsidy savings could play in facilitating the enrollment of vulnerable Nigerians into the NHIS.
Dawodu highlighted the substantial financial implications of fuel subsidies, noting that in 2022, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had expended a staggering N4 trillion ($9.7 billion) on fuel subsidies, with N3.6 trillion spent in just six months of 2023.
He further pointed out that the cost of covering 5 million individuals annually, at an average rate of N5,000 per person, amounts to approximately N5 billion.
Without the need for further debate, the motion was promptly adopted, with a directive issued to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to ensure the efficient implementation and diligent monitoring of this critical initiative.