LAGOS, NIGERIA — Expanding social protection mechanisms across the health sector, the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) have inaugurated a Board of Trustees for a new body designed to assist vulnerable patients who cannot afford emergency medical care. The newly formed entity, titled the Medical Intervention Initiative for Healthcare Access (MIIHA), aims to forge cross-sector partnerships and mobilize financial resources to lower treatment barriers nationwide.
“MIIHA is about building a practical and sustainable platform that can respond to the healthcare needs of vulnerable patients while strengthening collaboration across the health sector,” said Paschal Achunine, Executive Director of HEI.
The strategic intervention highlights severe financial bottlenecks within Nigeria’s healthcare delivery model that disproportionately impact low-income families and vulnerable patients:
Healthcare Access & Coverage Metric
National Baseline
Impact on Low-Income Families & Vulnerable Patients
Out-of-Pocket Expenditure
70% of total healthcare costs
Paid directly in cash, leading to medical impoverishment.
Health Insurance Enrolment
23 million people
Covers only ~10% of Nigeria’s 220M+ population.
Emergency Financial Aid
Public crowdfunding reliance
Uninsured patients often depend on family or religious appeals.
Private Sector Data Integration
MOC with NCDC & PharmAccess
Automated pilot to track disease surveillance in private clinics.
Governance and Strategic Leadership for Vulnerable Patients
Board Chairman Oladele Akinyemi emphasized that long-term institutional credibility will determine the initiative’s success in safeguarding vulnerable patients. Supporting this vision, HFN President Njide Ndili noted that true healthcare access requires addressing both financial affordability and geographic reach.
The inaugural Board of Trustees brings together leaders across insurance, public health, medicine, and emergency response:
Oladele Akinyemi: Board Chairman, MIIHA.
Aminu Tukur: Vice Chairman, Noor Takaful Insurance.
Dr. Olusegun Ogboye: Former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health.
Dr. Olayemi Dawodu: Managing Director, Cerba Lancet.
Hyginus Omeje: Retired Deputy Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Prof. Ryan Garba Muhammad: Provost, College of Medicine at Maryam Abacha University.
Dr. Taofiq Segun Oyedokun: Emergency Physician (Canada).
Dr. Mathias Yashim: CEO, Hope Builders International.
Private Sector Collaboration and Disease Surveillance
Beyond direct financial relief for vulnerable patients, the private healthcare federation is actively expanding public-private technical partnerships. On September 30, HFN, PharmAccess, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in Abuja.
The MOC establishes a pilot project for automated disease surveillance reporting from private healthcare facilities into the national reporting database. Supported by a $300 million World Bank loan secured in 2025 for emergency preparedness, NCDC Director General Dr. Jide Idris highlighted that private clinics hold a vital portion of national epidemiological data needed to detect outbreaks early.
Why It Matters: With seven out of ten healthcare naira spent out-of-pocket, a structured charity platform provides a critical safety net that prevents low-income citizens from being turned away during medical emergencies.
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