By Asma’u Ahmad
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said it is committed to State Health Insurance Scheme for efficient primary healthcare system that would deliver priority health needs to Nigerians.
Chairman of the Forum, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, stated this on Thursday while briefing the media on the outcome of the forum’s meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja.
Governor Yari, who read the communique from the meeting, said the forum received briefing on ”Roadmap to Achieving Universal Health Coverage at the Subnational Level.”
Governor Abdulaziz Yari
He said that governors pledged to maintain ongoing reforms, including domesticating the State Health Insurance Scheme to achieve strong and efficient primary healthcare systems that would deliver priority health needs to all Nigerians.
The governor said the forum pledged to work with the National Assembly to ensure the inclusion of States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) project in the external borrowing plan.
He said that the forum would also collaborate with World Bank on SFTAS projects to strengthen ongoing fiscal reforms at sub-national level to achieve better public-sector management and fiscal sustainability.
“Governors noted that the effective implementation of the SFTAS project will substantially increase available fiscal resources for productive public spending at the State level in the medium-term.
“We also believe that it will help state governments to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization, public investment and debt sustainability,” he said.
Yari told newsmen that the forum was yet to receive harmonised report on minimum wage from its members in the Federal Government committee on the matter. He said that forum was represented in the committee by governors of Kebbi, Plateau, Gombe, Osun, Imo and Rivers.
