The Oyo State government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has launched a health insurance scheme aimed at enrolling 10,000 primary school pupils across 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the state.
The initiative was unveiled on Thursday at the Ibadan Civic Center, Idi-Ape, where the Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, presented Insurance scheme ID cards to students from 90 schools.
The deputy governor emphasised that the enrollment reflected the government’s commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of its children, enabling them to learn in supportive environments.
“This scheme will ensure that our children have sound minds while they learn, praising the partnership between the Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) and the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB) for their efforts in providing healthcare opportunities for public school children.
“This event represents a collective effort in securing a brighter future for Oyo State pupils,” Lawal added, urging OYSHIA to extend the scheme to all schools within the state and encouraging parents to participate.
In her goodwill message, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, highlighted the fundamental right of every child to access affordable, quality healthcare.
“This initiative reinforces our collective commitment to universal health coverage, ensuring that no child faces financial obstacles to accessing healthcare,” she remarked.
Lafoucriere stressed that universal health coverage is a healthcare goal and a social and economic necessity.
“When children have access to healthcare, they can focus on education, grow into productive adults, break the cycle of poverty, and contribute to the success of Oyo State and Nigeria,” she added.
She highlighted the scheme, which particularly aimed to support public primary school children, especially those in hard-to-reach areas. With the current enrollment covering 90 schools across 18 LGAs, UNICEF’s goal is to ensure that all 33 LGAs in the state are included, leaving no child behind.
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In her remark, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, praised OYSHIA and OYOSUBEB for their dedication to improving the health of basic school pupils and assured them of her Ministry’s unwavering commitment to the scheme.
In the same vein, the executive chairman of OYOSUBEB, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, expressed support for OYSHIA and pledged his board’s commitment to the successful implementation and sustainability of the program.
“At OYOSUBEB, we operate on the principle of taking care of the pupils under our care as though they are ours,” he stated, highlighting that the scheme will allow beneficiaries to access quality healthcare without exorbitant costs.
Earlier in his address, Executive Secretary of OYSHIA, Dr. Olusola Akande, noted that the initiative initially aimed to provide healthcare access to 10,000 public primary school pupils, with plans to enroll an additional 5,500 pupils starting next week.
He acknowledged UNICEF’s support, which has enhanced awareness campaigns and doubled the communities covered under the Community-based Health Insurance scheme.
Various stakeholders in the health and education sectors, including the pupils themselves, attended the event, affirming a collective commitment to improving healthcare access for children in the state.
