When Kabiru Tanko (not his real name) was transferred from the crumbling Kurmawa Custodial Centre to the new Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Janguza, Kano, in May 2025, he noticed a major change — access to healthcare had drastically improved. “I’ve visited the clinic close to ten times and received proper treatment each time,” Tanko said. He is one of over 3,000 inmates now covered under the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), which has extended state health insurance to correctional facilities.
Kano State, which holds 4,676 of Nigeria’s 79,470 inmates as of September 2025, recently began a bold effort to improve prison healthcare. The historic Kurmawa Custodial Centre, built in 1910 under British colonial rule, is set to become a museum — part of a broader reform that saw about 300 inmates relocated to newer facilities.
Taking Healthcare Behind Bars
Dr. Rahila Mukhtar Aliyu, Executive Secretary of KSCHMA, said the idea to include inmates under the state’s insurance scheme emerged after a prison outreach visit where her team found widespread untreated illnesses — from chronic skin diseases to diabetes and hypertension.
Alarmed by what she saw, Dr. Aliyu proposed enrolling inmates under KSCHMA’s equity programme, which provides free coverage for vulnerable populations. Before full implementation, the agency hired a consultant dermatologist to treat roughly 300 inmates suffering from scabies. After briefing the Commissioner for Health, KSCHMA obtained clearance from the federal government through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to move forward.
Each inmate now receives coverage worth ₦570 monthly, with 70% allocated to medication and 30% to essential clinic supplies and sanitation. The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) confirmed that all 10 correctional centres in Kano are now participating, with enrolment rates ranging from 45% at Goron Dutse to 50% at Kurmawa.
Funding comes through the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND), which dedicates 2% of its revenue to KSCHMA’s equity programme. Dr. Aliyu emphasized that the scheme is designed for sustainability and even allows released inmates to continue accessing healthcare through nearby facilities.
“We Lost Patients Before This”
For prison medical staff, the insurance scheme is nothing short of revolutionary. Dr. Kamdip Binven Nanring, Deputy Controller of Corrections for the Kano and Jigawa command medical unit, described it as “a breakthrough.”
“We lost some patients because they didn’t receive timely medical treatment,” he said. “Before now, referring cases to hospitals was almost impossible — there were no funds, and costs had to be paid out-of-pocket, either by the service or relatives.”
Nurse Fatima Jubrin, who works at the Janguza Maximum Security Centre clinic, said the new arrangement has improved access to medicines and supplies. Previously, the facility relied solely on drugs sent from NCS headquarters in Abuja. “Now, with support from KSCHMA, we can treat 50 to 60 patients daily without running out of drugs,” she said.
Tackling Administrative and Security Hurdles
Despite progress, challenges remain. Most inmates lack National Identification Numbers (NINs), a requirement for enrolment. “If we waited for every prisoner to obtain a NIN, the process would have stalled completely,” Dr. Aliyu explained. “We decided to proceed with enrolment while encouraging the NCS to fast-track NIN registration.”
Security restrictions also posed difficulties. Following reports of jailbreaks nationwide, officials were initially hesitant to grant KSCHMA staff access to photograph inmates for identification. In addition, outdated equipment at Janguza’s clinic prompted plans to upgrade the facility to a secondary-level health centre.
Dr. Nanring noted that onboarding new inmates is another challenge: “Enrolment takes time, so new arrivals may not immediately access the insurance benefits. Conducting enrolment weekly or monthly could ease this issue.”
Sustaining the Reform
Experts believe that maintaining transparency and regular funding is essential to keeping the programme alive. KSCHMA and KHETFUND are being urged to publish regular financial reports and work with national agencies to streamline NIN registration for all inmates.
Continuous enrolment drives, independent monitoring, and phased infrastructure upgrades will be key to ensuring this initiative doesn’t fade. Without these safeguards, health insurance for prisoners risks becoming a short-term relief rather than a lasting reform.
For now, however, Kano’s initiative stands as a model — proving that healthcare behind bars can be both humane and sustainable when political will meets practical innovation.
