The Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners has described the enrolment of 20,000 retirees into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) as a life-saving intervention, praising Governor Ademola Adeleke for easing the burden of healthcare costs among elderly citizens.
In 2025, the Adeleke administration enrolled 20,000 pensioners into the state’s health insurance programme at no cost, a move aimed at improving access to quality healthcare services for retirees amid rising medical expenses nationwide.
Speaking in a statement on Wednesday, the union’s state secretary, Lawrence Aina, said the initiative had significantly improved retirees’ access to medical care and reduced mortality rates among members.
“Twenty thousand pensioners were enrolled. We monitored the number and saw that it was accurate. We are grateful to the Governor of Osun State because our people are truly enjoying quality medical services through OHIS,” Aina said.
He explained that the modest monthly pensions received by retirees were barely sufficient for feeding, let alone covering hospital bills, adding that the health insurance scheme had brought relief not only to pensioners but also to their families.
Aina noted that although the scheme initially covered minor ailments, beneficiaries undergoing surgical procedures are now required to pay a percentage of the costs. He appealed to the government to consider full coverage for surgical treatments.
“We are still appealing to the government to help us so that it can pay the full charges for any operation requested by a patient,” he added.
The union also commended the administration for increasing monthly pensions by ₦25,000, describing the increment as another measure that has improved retirees’ welfare.
“Before now, some people were receiving ₦350, ₦500, or ₦750 monthly, making it extremely difficult to seek medical treatment. The ₦25,000 addition gave us relief. It even reduced the death rate among our people,” Aina said.
At the union’s headquarters in Osogbo, a retiree, Kolawole Koleosho, said since enrolling in the insurance scheme, he has been able to devote his pension largely to feeding his family rather than medical expenses.
Describing the initiative as a major welfare package for retirees, Koleosho urged the state government to sustain and expand the programme to capture more beneficiaries.
The development has been widely seen as one of the administration’s key social protection policies targeted at vulnerable citizens in the state.
