Hundreds of Lagos residents seeking to enrol in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) scheme have been stranded for weeks following a persistent system failure that has halted new registrations across the state.
Prospective enrollees told our correspondent that repeated visits to the NHIA office in Yaba, Lagos, ended in disappointment as officials consistently cited a server malfunction that made it impossible to process applicants’ National Identification Numbers (NINs) for verification.
The registration delay, which has lasted several weeks, comes at a time when government agencies have been urging Nigerians to subscribe to the national health insurance scheme as part of efforts to expand universal health coverage.
Applicants Frustrated Over Prolonged Downtime
One resident who spoke with The PUNCH said he had attempted registration multiple times without success.
“I went to the NHIA office in Yaba two weeks ago, and they told me they stopped enrolling new applicants because of a server problem,” he said.
“Whenever they try to register someone, the system won’t connect. They have to keep entering the command repeatedly sometimes 10 or 15 times and each attempt attracts a charge. They said the Nigeria Immigration Service was informed about the issue because they verify NINs, but nothing has been done.”
Another applicant said she had visited the NHIA office three times in two weeks but was still unable to register.
“I went there penultimate Thursday, last Friday, and again this Tuesday. The issue persists. They just ask us to fill out the forms and promise to call when it’s fixed, but no one knows when that will be,” she lamented.
Agencies Trade Blame Over Technical Fault
In response to the allegations, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration and Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, denied claims that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) was responsible for the glitch.
“We do not have any operational relationship with the NHIA, so no complaint was received from them. From our end, there’s been no issue with NIN verification for passport applicants,” Akinlabi said.
Similarly, Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), dismissed reports that the failure originated from their servers.
“Our server is not down. Maybe NHIA is having issues on their side. The Immigration Service, FRSC, and even the police are currently accessing our system without difficulty,” he stated.
“Most times, when an agency experiences downtime, they shift blame. The NIMC system runs 24/7, and if there’s a challenge, we notify Nigerians. At the moment, everything is fully operational.”
When asked if the NHIA had officially contacted the commission, Adegoke said no communication had been received.
NHIA Silent on Situation
Efforts to reach the Acting Director and Head of Media and Public Relations of NHIA, Emmanuel Ononokpono, for comments were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls, text messages, or WhatsApp inquiries as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, stranded applicants continue to express frustration over the delay, urging authorities to fix the technical fault and resume enrolments without further disruption.
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