The South-South Development Commission has enrolled 1,666 vulnerable persons in Cross River State into the state’s health insurance scheme as part of efforts to reduce financial barriers to healthcare access among women, children and elderly residents.
The initiative was launched in Calabar by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SSDC, Mrs Usoro Akpabio, represented by the Executive Director, Social and Human Capital Development, Preye Aganaba.
Aganaba said the programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s human capital development agenda for the South-South region, particularly for residents unable to afford medical treatment.
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“Good health is fundamental to development of our region. It helps children stay in school, enables women to pursue livelihoods, and allows older persons to live with greater dignity,” he said.
He noted that families in riverine and hard-to-reach communities across the region often delayed treatment because of the cost of healthcare and distance to medical facilities.
“This programme will help ease financial burden of seeking care,” he added.
Aganaba commended Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, for strengthening primary healthcare and expanding health insurance coverage, while appreciating the state health insurance agency for partnering with the commission to reach beneficiaries.
He urged the implementation teams to ensure that the enrolment slots were reserved for eligible persons genuinely in need of assistance.
“Verify each beneficiary, prevent duplicate enrollments, and make deliberate effort to reach underserved communities,” he said.
He stressed the need for beneficiaries to understand the coverage provided by the scheme and how to access healthcare services.
“Once enrolled, each beneficiary should know what scheme covers them, where to receive care, and whom to contact for help. We will follow up to make sure beneficiaries can use their cover when they need it,” Aganaba said.
The SSDC chief executive disclosed that the programme would be extended to all six South-South states — Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers.
He said Cross River was selected for the first flag-off because of the professionalism and responsiveness of its public service.
“We will work with respective state health authorities to uphold same standards of fairness, verification, and follow-up across region,” he said.
Aganaba added, “I want to commend people of this state for being very professional. In almost everything we are doing, their response time is very timely. That's why we are here first.”
Earlier, the Director-General of the Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, Dr Yala Iyala, said healthcare delivery should not be left solely to government, urging wealthy individuals to support medical services for vulnerable residents.
Iyala commended Otu and his wife for championing universal health coverage and praised the SSDC for enrolling 1,666 vulnerable persons, describing the exercise as a test ahead of further enrolments in January.
He advocated a transition from one-off medical outreaches to sustainable health insurance programmes and pledged to ensure quality monitoring of healthcare facilities.
The agency’s director-general also appreciated the state Head of Service for making health insurance cards mandatory for civil servants, vowing that the agency would continue working towards covering every Cross Riverian.
In his goodwill message, the SSDC Executive Director, Finance and Supply, Ambassador Sony Abang, promised increased healthcare funding in the commission’s 2027 budget.
Abang said the current enrolment was only the beginning, adding that the commission would extend its interventions beyond health insurance to the provision of drugs, medical equipment and renovation of health facilities.
He said a healthy population was essential for productivity, economic growth and security.
The SSDC executive director also commended Otu for prioritising healthcare and appointing a medical professional as commissioner for health.
He said the commission was established under Tinubu’s administration to ensure development interventions directly benefit Nigerians, adding that it was targeting health insurance coverage for all Nigerians next year.
Abang further disclosed plans for agricultural support, health training programmes and scholarships for professionals.
On politics, he declared support for the re-election of Tinubu and Otu, describing the economy as improving.
He also claimed that Otu had repaid nearly 50 per cent of Cross River State’s debt, which he said had previously made banks unwilling to extend loans to the state.
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