The Federal Government has announced plans to fully integrate members of the Nigerian Armed Forces into the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), ensuring that service members, their families, and eligible retirees have access to comprehensive healthcare.
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 Programme’s partnership with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Africa.
Matawalle said the move would strengthen Nigeria’s defence health system and provide soldiers and their dependents with equal healthcare access under the NHIA.
“We must shape the next 20 years with national security and the National Health Insurance Authority, ensuring that our forces are covered by national health and well-being safeguards—across postings and into retirement,” Matawalle stated.
He emphasized that the health of the armed forces is tied to national security, noting that preventive healthcare and insurance coverage would boost operational readiness.
According to him, the Defence Health Programme has already impacted more than half a million Nigerians—military and civilians—by saving lives, building infrastructure, and strengthening confidence in military-led healthcare.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, also welcomed the integration, describing it as a vital step in keeping soldiers fit to defend the country. He highlighted the 20-year partnership with Walter Reed as a model of international collaboration, credited with strengthening 32 military health facilities nationwide and delivering far-reaching benefits to both soldiers and civilians.
Musa added that investments in research, laboratory infrastructure, and training had positioned Nigeria to better respond to future health threats, citing the Defence Reference Laboratory in Abuja as a symbol of global best practice.
Also speaking, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., praised the partnership as a demonstration of trust and collaboration between both countries, while Major General Paula Lodi, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, said it had grown from tackling HIV and malaria in 2005 to addressing a wide range of global health challenges.
Since inception, the programme has achieved significant milestones:
1,628,414 individuals tested and counselled for HIV.
110,097 tested positive, with 69,447 newly placed on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
40,702 currently on ART treatment.
277,975 pregnant women tested, with 15,098 positive cases, and 13,377 receiving ART to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Matawalle stressed that integrating the armed forces into NHIA would guarantee sustainability of care and long-term operational efficiency.
“As we mark this anniversary, we renew our collective resolve to safeguard the health of our armed forces as a cornerstone of national defence,” he declared.
