The Enugu State Government has enrolled more than 4,000 retirees in its free health insurance programme, as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare for pensioners in the state.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Enugu State Agency for Universal Health Coverage (ESA-UHC), Dr Edith Okolo, disclosed this on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, during an enrolment exercise held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu.
The exercise attracted pensioners from the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
Okolo said the initiative was part of the state government’s broader objective of ensuring that every resident had access to health insurance, adding that pensioners were prioritised because of their vulnerability.
“To be precise, our mandate is to ensure that every resident of Enugu State is covered by health insurance.
“What is actually happening is that we are now reaching out and expanding coverage to people who were not previously captured,” she said.
She said the government had made provision for all pensioners resident in Enugu State, irrespective of their state of origin, to access the free health insurance programme.
“As of today, we have registered over 4,000 of them. But you know, in Enugu State, there are more than 20,000 pensioners.
“We want those who have not registered to come out. You have nothing to lose because nobody is taking any money from you,” Okolo said.
The executive secretary said the insurance package covered treatment at primary healthcare centres, as well as referrals to specialist and other participating hospitals.
She listed the benefits to include admission, laboratory tests, drugs and treatment for hypertension, diabetes, malaria and arthritis, as well as some surgical procedures.
Okolo urged pensioners yet to enrol to register at their nearest primary healthcare centres to begin accessing the services.
She said the agency had also introduced routine health checks under the programme, including blood pressure and blood sugar-level checks.
“So many people had high blood pressure and were not aware. That is why regular health checks are important,” she said.
Okolo further urged beneficiaries who were asked to pay for services covered by the scheme to contact the agency through its toll-free number, 0800 003 200, for assistance.
She stressed that the intervention was not a one-off exercise.
The State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Comrade Ikechukwu Ekere, commended the state government for making the health insurance enrolment free for pensioners.
Ekere said pensioners had initially been reluctant to join the scheme after being informed that they would be required to pay N1,000 monthly.
He said the state government subsequently agreed to bear the cost of the enrolment following appeals by the union.
According to him, the free enrolment had encouraged more pensioners in the local government and primary school sectors to register, while state pensioners had also commenced enrolment.
The National President of the NUP, Comrade Godwin Abumisi, described the initiative as an example of development whose impact might not always be physically visible but could significantly improve people’s lives.
Abumisi said development should not be measured only by roads, bridges, schools and hospitals, but also by policies and programmes that directly improve citizens’ welfare.
He commended Gov. Peter Mbah for including pensioners in the state’s health insurance programme, saying the initiative demonstrated attention to the welfare of retirees.
Abumisi, however, appealed to the state government to address outstanding pension and gratuity arrears owed to pensioners, citing Section 173 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which provides for pension rights and periodic review of pensions.
He specifically appealed to the state government to implement the N32,000 minimum pension for pensioners in Enugu State and continue efforts to clear outstanding arrears.
The state government had earlier approved a N32,000 minimum pension for local government retirees and the enrolment of local government pensioners in the free health insurance scheme. The Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Local Government Staff Pensions Board, Dr Eric Oluedo, disclosed the approvals on Aug. 17, 2026.
The development followed an earlier appeal by the NUP in Enugu for implementation of the N32,000 minimum pension, with the union reporting that some retirees were still receiving as little as N447 monthly.
Also speaking at Thursday’s exercise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Union and Association Matters, Mr Chukwudi Ezinwa, and the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Local Government Staff Pensions Board, Dr Eric Oluedo, assured pensioners of the administration’s commitment to addressing the backlog of pension and gratuity arrears.
They separately appealed to the pensioners to remain patient, saying the administration was working to improve their welfare and make them smile.
