The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are exploring a strategic partnership that would integrate health insurance information into driver’s licence and vehicle registration records to improve emergency healthcare access for road traffic crash victims across Nigeria.
According to an official signed statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, FRSC, Deputy Corps Commander Osondu Ohaeri, the Director-General of NHIA, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, made the proposal during a courtesy visit to the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed.
Dr. Ohiri explained that the initiative would enable emergency responders and healthcare providers to quickly determine the health insurance status of crash victims, thereby eliminating bureaucratic delays that often hinder access to urgent medical treatment. He noted that the arrangement would ensure victims receive prompt healthcare services without financial barriers at the point of rescue and treatment.
Responding, the Corps Marshal welcomed the proposal and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Dr. Ohiri as Director-General of NHIA, describing him as “a round peg in a round hole.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of the FRSC, as the lead agency for traffic management and road safety administration in Nigeria, to initiatives that promote the safety and welfare of road users nationwide.
Shehu Mohammed disclosed that all FRSC clinics across the country are accredited healthcare facilities and revealed that the establishment of FRSC Health Maintenance Limited was designed to provide affordable healthcare coverage for stakeholders within the road transport sector.
According to him, the programme targets transport operators, drivers and members of road transport unions, a population estimated at more than 10 million nationwide.
The Corps Marshal further disclosed that the FRSC maintains a database of over 12 million registered drivers and expressed the Corps’ readiness to collaborate with NHIA to make health insurance enrollment a key component of driver’s licence acquisition and renewal processes.
He said the proposed partnership would enhance road safety, improve access to emergency medical care and ensure that crash victims receive prompt treatment regardless of their financial circumstances at the time of rescue.
Mohammed also indicated the Corps’ willingness to work with NHIA on incorporating National Health Insurance details into passenger manifests and other transport-related documentation to strengthen emergency response systems and healthcare delivery within the road transport ecosystem.
Highlighting the FRSC’s longstanding commitment to post-crash care, the Corps Marshal noted that the Corps was the first organisation in Nigeria to establish a dedicated ambulance service and roadside clinics strategically located along crash-prone corridors, underscoring its continued efforts to save lives on Nigerian roads.
