The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, on Thursday issued a one-month ultimatum to a contractor handling the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) office in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to complete and make the facility fully functional.
Dr. Salako gave the directive during an unscheduled on-the-spot assessment visit to the abandoned building of the former National Health Insurance Scheme in Abeokuta, following a viral video on social media highlighting the poor state of the office.
During the inspection, the minister expressed concern over the prolonged abandonment of the facility, noting that the delay has negatively affected effective health insurance service delivery in Ogun State. He said it was unacceptable for a critical public health asset to remain unused at a time when the Federal Government is intensifying efforts to expand access to affordable healthcare.
It was established during the visit that the building had not been formally handed over to management by the contractor, a development that has stalled its occupation and operationalisation by the National Health Insurance Authority.
Dr. Salako directed the contractor to rectify all identified deficiencies within one month to enable NHIA staff to move into the facility and commence full operations.
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He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to revitalising critical health infrastructure as part of ongoing reforms in the health sector, stressing that no public health facility should be left to waste.
The minister assured stakeholders that necessary steps would be taken to ensure the building is completed and put to productive use within the stipulated timeline, in the overall interest of residents of Ogun State.
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