Enrolment Into Delta Health Insurance Hits 3m — Akpoveta

The Director General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), Dr Isaac Akpoveta, has said that the state’s health insurance scheme has enrolled more than 3 million people.
He described health insurance as a catalyst for investment and economic growth.
Akpoveta said this in an interview on the sidelines of the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit in Asaba on Wednesday.
He said investors were attracted to Delta because of its functional and digitalised health insurance system, which provided coverage for investors, their workers and host communities, thereby promoting healthy living, productivity and revenue generation.
According to him, Delta currently ranks first in health insurance coverage in Nigeria.
Akpoveta said the scheme had enrolled more than 2.95 million residents and accredited 533 healthcare facilities across the state’s 25 local government areas.
He said the scheme deployed facial biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems to ensure quality service delivery and accountability.
“Delta is number one when you talk about health insurance and we always make sure that we get the best.
“Again, His Excellency, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori has strong political will to ensure that whatever is done in the state is well executed. He provides the finances and has assured that the funds are available to execute viable projects.
“Delta is the only state that releases billions to pay medical bills in the country.
“Most state governments rely on the Federal Government for healthcare delivery, but here, our budget covers all pregnant women and children under five years.
“Elderly persons aged 65 years and above also receive treatment at the state’s expense, and so we are the best.”
He said the commission’s adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had simplified registration, strengthened biometric verification and improved accountability.
“With our AI-driven ICT system in the commission, ghost enrollees, fraudulent billings and irregular payments have disappeared. In 2025 alone, we saved N2.1 billion from fraud.
“Everything we do is ICT. You submit your bill through the network system, it arrives in our computer system, it is processed electronically and paid through the same platform.
“No matter where you are coming from, Forcados, Burutu or anywhere in the state, your registration information enters the system and processing begins immediately. That is our level of ICT compliance.”
Akpoveta projected that enrolment would rise to 4.7 million by 2027.
“Our projection is that by 2027, we should be hitting 4.7 million enrollees in Delta from the current level of 2.9 million enrollees.
“By the end of this week, the number of enrollees will be three million as registration is ongoing in all the 533 facilities across the state.
“But in Delta, we have more than three million enrollees because federal government workers in the state are registered under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), so they do not come to us.”
He said available statistics showed that Delta remained ahead of other states in health insurance coverage and was on track to achieve universal health coverage.
“So, our projection is that before His Excellency, Oborevwori leaves office in 2031, we will be universal health coverage compliant. What that means is that 80 per cent of Delta residents would have been registered under the scheme.
“That is why Rwanda is being celebrated everywhere because 80 to 90 per cent of its people have health insurance, which means you do not need to look for money before going to the hospital.
“You don’t spend your hard-earned money because there is money paid on your behalf, and the little contribution you make is leveraged into treatment costs higher than what you paid for.
“The fact is that health insurance is a catalyst for investors because when you invest in a health insurance-compliant state, the people are generally healthy.”
Akpoveta said health insurance was critical to improving public welfare and enhancing productivity across society.
“If 80 per cent of the people of the state are healthy at any given time, productivity will be higher. Personal productivity and government productivity will become higher,” he said.