Ultimate Health Management Services is pushing for deeper collaboration with corporate leaders and government institutions to expand affordable health insurance across Nigeria’s largely uninsured informal sector.

The initiative aims to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on out-of-pocket healthcare spending. A delegation from the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, led by Assistant Director Adekemi Parker, recently visited the health maintenance organisation in Lagos to discuss partnership opportunities.

At the heart of the drive is a new benefit package designed specifically for informal economy workers, including artisans, traders, and transport operators. The Managing Director of Ultimate Health, Lekan Ewenla, explained that the plan costs just N38,000 per person annually. He noted that informal workers make up the majority of Nigeria’s workforce but remain outside formal employment-based health coverage.

Official data shows that only about 13 per cent of Nigerians have health insurance, according to the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report. Ewenla pointed out that low uptake is driven by both affordability concerns and weak awareness. He stressed that if people do not know what is available, they cannot access it.

Ewenla raised concerns that many Nigerians seek medical attention only when conditions become severe, leading to costly emergencies. He linked health insurance to national development, noting that countries with strong insurance systems retain more medical professionals.

Ultimate Health is now intensifying sensitisation campaigns among informal sector groups.

The Chartered Institute of Directors said its visit focuses on collaboration across key sectors of the economy. Parker described Ultimate Health as a key stakeholder in the institute’s health sector group. Ewenla concluded: “We believe that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, and we are committed to driving that change.”