The Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr Sylvester Nwakuche, has appealed to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to extend health insurance coverage to inmates across the country in a bid to address persistent healthcare challenges in custodial centres.
Nwakuche made the appeal on Monday in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NHIA, Dr Kelechi Ohiri. He said the inclusion of inmates in the national health insurance framework would help prevent avoidable deaths and improve access to quality healthcare for a population he described as vulnerable and underserved.
According to the Controller-General, inmates remain citizens of Nigeria and should not be excluded from national social protection programmes, particularly health insurance. He noted that delayed medical treatment, often caused by demands for upfront payment by hospitals, has resulted in fatalities among inmates requiring urgent care.
Nwakuche disclosed that the NCoS currently manages about 81,000 inmates across more than 250 custodial facilities nationwide, including women, persons living with disabilities and babies born within correctional centres. He stressed that the visit coincided with his one year in office, having been appointed in an acting capacity by President Bola Tinubu in December 2024 and later confirmed by the Senate as substantive Controller-General in April.
He explained that the correctional service was undergoing a shift beyond nomenclature, with renewed emphasis on rehabilitation, correction and the welfare of inmates and staff. He said the NHIA was a critical partner in achieving this mandate and urged the authority to technically explore ways of integrating inmates into its insurance programmes, either as a vulnerable group or under a dedicated package.
The Controller-General also highlighted broader efforts to integrate inmates into national systems. He revealed that the National Identity Management Commission had agreed to commence the capture of inmates under the National Identification Number scheme, while discussions had also been held with the Independent National Electoral Commission on enabling inmates to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
He noted that between 60 and 70 per cent of inmates are awaiting trial and presumed innocent until proven guilty, adding that failure to capture them in national databases could undermine post-release reintegration and national planning. He also disclosed plans to engage the National Population Commission to extend data capture to custodial centres.
In response, the NHIA Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, pledged the authority’s commitment to working with the NCoS to ensure inmates are covered under the national health insurance framework.
Ohiri explained that the NHIA was established in 2022 following the enactment of the National Health Insurance Act, which expanded the agency’s mandate beyond service provision to include the promotion and regulation of health insurance schemes nationwide. He said the current administration is committed to achieving universal health coverage, with equity as a guiding principle.
Describing inmates as a vulnerable population, Ohiri assured that the NHIA would collaborate with the NCoS to develop a clear and workable framework for their inclusion. He disclosed that both organisations would set up joint technical teams to begin work immediately, with the aim of commencing implementation early in the new year.
