Nigeria pledges full NHIA integration for armed forces, promising comprehensive healthcare for soldiers, families and retirees.
Defence Minister Bello Matawalle highlights strengthened military health systems and a 20-year partnership with US Walter Reed Institute.
The Federal Government has assured members of the Nigerian Armed Forces that they will be fully integrated into the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), guaranteeing comprehensive healthcare access for service members, their families, and eligible retirees.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Program’s partnership with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Africa.
Matawalle stated that the integration would enhance the resilience of Nigeria’s military health system and ensure that soldiers and their dependents receive the same protections as other citizens.
“We must shape the next 20 years with national security and the NHIA, ensuring that our forces are covered across postings and into retirement,” he said.
The minister stressed that preventive healthcare and health insurance are critical to maintaining operational readiness, adding: “The health of our armed forces is preserved for the security of our nation. When illness is prevented, protection and unity remain operational missions.”
He noted that the Defence Health Program had already reached over 500,000 Nigerians, both military and civilian, by building infrastructure, saving lives, and boosting public confidence in military-led healthcare.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, described NHIA integration as vital for ensuring soldiers’ fitness. He hailed the 20-year partnership with Walter Reed as a model of international collaboration, which has strengthened 32 military health facilities nationwide, delivered benefits to civilian communities, and supported interventions in HIV prevention, COVID-19 response, and other outbreaks.
He also highlighted the Defence Reference Laboratory in Abuja, accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, as a landmark achievement.
US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., praised the partnership as proof of trust and cooperation, while Major General Paula Lodi, Commanding General of the US Army Medical Research and Development Command, said it had grown since 2005 to address HIV, malaria, and other infectious diseases while shaping health policy beyond Nigeria.
