BASHCMA Launches 2026-2030 Strategic Plan to Expand Health Insurance Coverage in Bauchi.

By, Kamaluddeen Nuhu Ilelah:

Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency BASHCMA has disseminated its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan alongside the findings of its Customer Satisfaction Survey during a stakeholders’ engagement held at Riveredge Resort, Bauchi.

The engagement brought together key stakeholders, development partners, members of the Agency’s Governing Board, consultants, healthcare experts, and other resource persons to review the strategic direction for implementing the Agency’s five-year development plan aimed at strengthening health insurance coverage across Bauchi State.

The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for the Agency’s operations over the next five years and is designed to expand health insurance coverage, particularly to the informal and vulnerable sectors, improve access to quality healthcare services, and provide financial protection against the rising cost of medical care for residents of the state.

The plan, which is reviewed every five years, serves as the guiding document for the implementation of Bauchi State’s contributory health insurance scheme across the formal, informal, and vulnerable population groups. It also aligns with the Federal Government’s Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) 2.0 guidelines, the National Health Sector Strategic Blueprint, and the Sector-Wide Approach initiative aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

Declaring the workshop open, the Head of the Bauchi State Civil Service, Barrister Muhammad Sani Umar, congratulated the Agency on the successful development of the strategic plan and described it as a significant milestone toward improving healthcare financing in the state.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Bauchi State Government under Governor Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad to supporting policies and programmes that will expand health insurance coverage and ensure residents enjoy greater financial protection from healthcare expenses.

Barrister Sani noted that strengthening the contributory health insurance scheme would reduce the burden of out-of-pocket medical payments on families while improving access to essential healthcare services across both urban and rural communities.

On his part, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sani Muhammad Dambam, commended BASHCMA for its achievements and assured participants that the Ministry of Health would continue to prioritize and support the Agency’s programmes, particularly the implementation of the contributory health insurance scheme.

He said the Ministry would continue to collaborate with the Agency and other partners to ensure that more residents, especially those in the informal sector, are enrolled in the scheme as part of the state’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Speaking during the event, the Executive Secretary of BASHCMA, Alhaji Ibrahim Inuwa Duguri, described the strategic plan as a product of extensive consultations involving government institutions, healthcare professionals, development partners, labour representatives, and other critical stakeholders.

He explained that the document provides a clear direction for the Agency’s activities over the next five years and pledged BASHCMA’s commitment to ensuring its successful implementation through sustained collaboration with all relevant stakeholders.

Alhaji Duguri noted that expanding health insurance coverage among informal sector workers remains one of the Agency’s key priorities, emphasizing that the scheme is designed to guarantee easy financial access to quality healthcare services for every resident of Bauchi State.

Speaking on the workshop’s theme, Building a Sustainable Health Insurance System: Ensuring Easy Financial Access to Quality Healthcare Services for All Residents of Bauchi State, the Acting Chairman of the Agency’s Governing Board, Alhaji Shehu Adamu Glass, said the strategic plan would provide a clear direction for the Agency’s operations and strengthen the state’s healthcare financing system.

He emphasized that health insurance should not be limited to public servants alone but should also benefit traders, artisans, farmers, self-employed individuals, and other vulnerable groups who constitute a significant percentage of the state’s population.

Presenting highlights of the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, Healthcare Financing Consultant, Dr. Shu’aibu Ahmad Indabawa, explained that the document was developed through a rigorous and participatory process involving stakeholder consultations, technical sessions, and a comprehensive SWOT analysis that assessed the Agency’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

He disclosed that contributions were received from institutions including the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Hospital Management Board, Nigeria Labour Congress, development partners, and other stakeholders during consultative workshops held in Gombe and Dutse before the final validation in Bauchi.

Dr. Indabawa stated that the strategic plan would strengthen institutional performance, improve accountability, enhance service delivery, and position BASHCMA among the leading state health insurance agencies in Nigeria.

He stressed that operating without a strategic plan is equivalent to navigating without direction, noting that the document provides measurable targets and practical strategies for expanding healthcare access and improving the quality of services provided to enrollees.

The workshop also featured the presentation of findings from the Agency’s Customer Satisfaction Survey, which will serve as an important tool for improving service delivery and addressing the expectations of beneficiaries under the Bauchi State Contributory Health Scheme.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (BACATMA), Dr. Sambo Alkali, and the Medical Director of Bauchi State Specialist Hospital, Professor Abdulkarim Mairiga, who commended BASHCMA’s efforts in strengthening healthcare financing and expanding access to quality healthcare services across the state.

Stakeholders expressed optimism that the implementation of the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan would significantly increase health insurance enrollment, particularly among informal sector workers and vulnerable populations, reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare spending, improve service quality, and move Bauchi State closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage, ensuring that every resident can access affordable and quality healthcare regardless of income or social status.