EBSHIA boss With beneficiaries In Ai
…They Recount Life-changing Experiences As Enrolment Rises
November 3, 2026
By Abraham Ovuoba
For a woman who could barely afford the cost of childbirth, delivering her baby through a Caesarean section without paying a dime was a moment of immense relief.
Her experience, alongside those of other beneficiaries who received free surgeries and treatment for sickle cell complications, has brought a human face to the healthcare interventions of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru in Ebonyi State.
At a media engagement organised by the Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency (EBSHIA) in Abakaliki, beneficiaries recounted how the state health insurance scheme had relieved them of medical expenses they could hardly afford.
Among them were Precious Uguru, Happiness Ituma, Celine Aleke, Onyinyechi Nkwegu, Nkechi Nweke, Charity Nwovu, and Rita Isaac, who testified to receiving free medical care, successful surgeries and other life-saving treatments.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of EBSHIA, Dr Divine Igwe, said the agency had enrolled 166,115 residents, facilitated 437,027 healthcare encounters and delivered 549,653 healthcare services valued at approximately N3.7 billion.
He disclosed that enrolment had increased from 32,149 in 2023, when the present administration assumed office, to 166,115, representing a 417 per cent growth across the state’s 13 local government areas.
According to him, beneficiaries include 38,322 pregnant women, 39,004 children, 15,311 elderly persons, 10,085 civil servants and 5,347 students, alongside other vulnerable groups.
Despite the progress, Igwe noted that coverage represented only about 5.2 per cent of Ebonyi’s estimated 3.2 million population.
He appealed to philanthropists, political appointees and local government chairmen to sponsor more vulnerable residents, urging political appointees to enrol at least 20 persons each.
The Board Chairman of EBSHIA, Dr Elizabeth Ogechi Ogbaga, said the engagement was organised to showcase the achievements of the Nwifuru administration through beneficiaries’ testimonies, while the Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr Sabinus Nwibo, described the scheme as a life-changing intervention, recalling the governor’s role in establishing its legal framework while serving as Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Sampson Nwafor, commended the agency for presenting beneficiaries to share their experiences and pledged the media’s support in promoting wider enrolment.
Beyond the N3.7 billion in services delivered, the real impact is reflected in mothers who delivered safely, patients who received life-saving treatment and families spared the financial burden of accessing healthcare.
For these beneficiaries, the scheme is not just another government policy; it is an intervention that has made a difference between financial hardship and access to medical care.
