The FCT Administration has said it has pushed its health insurance drive above the 2025 ministerial target, recording over 33,000 new enrollees into the FCT-Health Insurance Scheme, (FHIS).
The Permanent Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Baba-Gana Adams, who announced the figures during an event organised to mark the 2025 Universal Health Coverage Day in Abuja, said the figure, which surpasses the annual ministerial deliverable of 25,000 enrollees, represents 132 percent of the target driven largely by intensified community outreach and collaborations with stakeholders.
While commending the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS) for the feat despite the economic pressures weighing on households, Dr. Baba-Gana said the theme of this year’s UHC Day, “Unaffordable health costs? We’re tired and sick of it!” captures the reality facing many families who are increasingly unable to pay out-of-pocket for medical care.
According to him, the economic climate makes it even more urgent for governments to expand financial protection for citizens, insisting that “Health is not a privilege. It is a right.”
Adams explained that the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, working with the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, revalidated and enrolled 69,512 beneficiaries with valid NINs as at November 2025.
“For us in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Health & Environment Services Secretariat, it is a responsibility we take seriously, and reaffirm our commitment to achieving Health for All, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.8),” he stated.
He said the 2025 UHC Day activities were held simultaneously across the six area councils, reflecting the Administration’s shift toward deeper community reach at a time when many low-income earners struggle to afford basic health services.
The Permanent Secretary further stated that the choice of Garki Market was deliberate, noting that informal workers including traders, artisans and daily wage earners often lack the time or opportunity to seek routine health checks. He said the outreach was designed to take services directly to them.
“Today’s event, organised by the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, through the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, FHIS, demonstrates our commitment to bringing healthcare directly to our communities. Our gathering here at Garki Market underscores our commitment to leaving no one behind, most especially those in the informal sector,” he said.
He added that the Administration remains focused on strengthening the health system, expanding insurance coverage, upgrading facilities and supporting the health workforce to ensure that essential services remain within reach of every resident.
Earlier, the Acting Director of the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Salamatu Belgore, welcomed participants to the sensitisation walk and medical outreach and confirmed that similar activities were taking place across markets, motor parks and town halls in all six area councils.
“This exercise is not only happening here in Garki Market. As I’m speaking to you now, our other colleagues are in different motor-parks and engaging stakeholders in town hall meetings across the six area councils of the FCT, doing the same thing we are doing at this moment,” she said.
She stressed the need for more residents to adopt health insurance as a buffer against rising medical expenses, saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, no one plans to fall ill. Illness often comes unannounced and when it does, the cost of care should not determine who lives well and who suffers. Health insurance is not a luxury; it is a shield against financial shock.”
Belgore said the market outreach was meant to build trust, correct misconceptions and demonstrate that the insurance scheme works, particularly for low-income groups.
The outreach featured free screening for diabetes and hypertension, treatment of minor ailments, early detection for non-communicable diseases and on-the-spot sensitisation and enrolment for uninsured residents.
