FCTA Clears ₦4 Billion Health Insurance Debt And Issues Stern Warning To HMOs.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has successfully cleared a backlog of N4 billion (£2.2 million) in outstanding health insurance payments, marking a significant step towards strengthening the FCT Health Insurance Scheme (FHIS). The announcement, made on 29 July 2025, underscores the administration’s commitment to improving healthcare access for residents of Nigeria’s capital. Alongside this achievement, the FCTA has issued a robust warning to Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs), threatening sanctions for delays in remitting payments to healthcare providers.
The FHIS, a social health insurance programme, aims to provide affordable, equitable, and quality healthcare to all FCT residents. It offers free enrolment to FCTA and Area Council staff, as well as vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and children under five. Other residents can join the scheme by paying an annual premium of N22,500 (£12). The cleared N4 billion covered outstanding capitation and fee-for-service payments from 2022 to 2024, approved by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and disbursed between 2024 and 2025. This financial boost is expected to enhance service delivery and ensure healthcare providers are adequately funded.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, stated that the administration would no longer tolerate delays in payments to healthcare providers. Some HMOs had cited missing bank details as a reason for non-remittance, an excuse dismissed as “unacceptable” by the FCTA. “Any HMO that withholds payments to healthcare providers will face consequences,” Olayinka warned, adding that compliance with payment schedules and quality service delivery would be closely monitored.
The FHIS benefit package includes a wide range of services, from preventive and primary care to secondary-level treatments such as dental care, mental health support, physiotherapy, and surgeries. Pregnant women enrolled through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) receive free antenatal care, routine drugs, laboratory investigations, and delivery services across the FCT’s six Area Councils. The scheme also covers advanced procedures like caesarean sections and blood transfusions at no cost in the FCT’s 14 General Hospitals.
Over the past year, the FCTA has introduced sweeping reforms to bolster the FHIS. These include clearing all outstanding payments, improving the timeliness of disbursements to HMOs, increasing capitation rates for providers, and accrediting 100 new Primary Healthcare Centres to expand access. These efforts aim to build a transparent and accountable healthcare system that prioritises the welfare of FCT residents, particularly the most vulnerable.
The FCTA’s actions have been widely praised on social media, with posts on X highlighting the positive impact on hospitals’ ability to procure drugs, pay staff, and improve patient care. The administration’s firm stance against erring HMOs signals a commitment to accountability, ensuring that the billions invested translate into tangible health outcomes. As the FCTA continues to monitor compliance, residents and stakeholders are encouraged to report irregularities to support the ongoing transformation of the capital’s health sector.
