By Emmanuel Oluwakorede
The Kogi State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) for the implementation of the formal health sector plan for local government workers.
Signing the MoU on behalf of the Government, the Secretary to the Government of Kogi State, Mrs. Folashade Ayoade, said the move was to expand the services of the State Health Insurance Agency to workers at the grassroots.
According to her, the move marks a significant step in extending health coverage to grassroots government workers.
Mrs. Ayoade, described the health insurance initiative as a vital intervention to reduce the financial burden on workers while granting them access to quality medical services.
She commended the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Adekule Aledare, for his dedication to the scheme and acknowledged the efforts of the former Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for launching the health insurance initiative for workers in the state.
Mrs. Ayoade also applauded the commitment of the Governor to the sustenance of the programme, especially extending its benefits to local government employees.
“This is a great opportunity for workers to key into. It’s not just about individual health—it’s about families, and ensuring that our workforce is healthy and supported,” she said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of KGSHIA, Dr. Adekule Aledare, said the agency had successfully enrolled over 63,000 state civil servants and their families into the health insurance scheme.
He noted that following the directive of Governor Ododo, an additional 30,000 local government employees and their families have now been enrolled.
Dr. Aledare emphasized that the move would reduce catastrophic health expenditures among civil servants and improve their general well-being.
“This milestone reaffirms our commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage in Kogi State,” he stated, thanking the governor for both his political and financial backing.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State, Mr. Gabriel Amari, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the health insurance scheme so far.
He acknowledged that the scheme initially faced some challenges, especially with the delayed inclusion of local government employees, but assured that those issues had been resolved.
“Some workers had already accessed the programme informally through Bello Care. This MoU now makes everything official and accessible to all Local Government workers,” Mr. Amari noted.
He also praised the performance of both public and private healthcare facilities supporting the scheme, stating that services have been smooth and effective.
