The Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA) has recorded a major expansion in health insurance coverage, with enrolment rising from 497,262 residents in 2023 to 933,014 in 2025, representing an 87.6 per cent increase within two years.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr. Rahila Muktar, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Kano to mark the 2025 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day.
Muktar said the growth reflects the state government’s commitment to providing affordable and quality healthcare through the Kano State Contributory Health Scheme.
She noted that the 2025 UHC theme, “Unaffordable Health Costs: We Are Sick of It!”, aligns with the agency’s mandate to protect households from catastrophic health spending.
According to her, KSCHMA was established under Law No. 3 of 2016 to create a sustainable healthcare financing system through pooled contributions, donations, and taxes, ensuring equitable access to healthcare services.
She said the agency has prioritised aggressive enrolment expansion since June 2023, in line with the social welfare agenda of Governor Abba Yusuf and the guidance of the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran.
Breaking down the figures, Muktar said enrolment under the state-funded Vulnerable Group Programme increased by 935 per cent, from 4,903 to 50,745 beneficiaries, with support from the Kano State Health Trust Fund.
Enrolment under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) grew by 215 per cent, from 108,664 to 342,515, while the formal sector recorded a 40 per cent increase, reaching 537,914 enrollees. The informal sector expanded by more than 1,143 per cent, from 148 to 1,840 participants.
She said the expanded coverage currently supports thousands of vulnerable residents, including pregnant women, children under five, persons living with disabilities, individuals with chronic conditions, people living with HIV, and inmates in correctional centres.
Muktar added that the agency has strengthened collaboration with key state health institutions and development partners, introduced Zakat and Waqf financing to support vulnerable groups, upgraded its call centre and digitised service delivery at primary healthcare centres.
She said activities marking the 2025 UHC Day in Kano include the distribution of relief items to vulnerable groups and the launch of informal sector enrolment across the state.
