Nigeria’s journey towards universal health coverage has often been slowed by familiar barriers: low insurance penetration, high out-of-pocket spending, weak trust in public systems, and the difficulty of reaching poor and vulnerable households before illness pushes them deeper into poverty.Yet Kano State is showing that these barriers are not insurmountable. They can be overcome when policy is matched with disciplined execution, community presence, and leadership that treats health insurance not as paperwork, but as protection for real people.At the centre of this progress is the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, led by Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar.In three years, the agency has moved from promise to measurable impact. Total enrolment increased from 497,262 in June 2023 to 1,187,119 by May 2026, a 139 per cent increase that brought more than one million Kano residents under health insurance coverage. This is more than a routine administrative achievement. It signals that Kano has built one of Nigeria’s most dynamic state health insurance systems, and the evidence is striking.Under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund gateway, Kano expanded primary healthcare-linked coverage from 108,664 beneficiaries to 580,484 beneficiaries, representing a 434 per cent increase.The state-funded Vulnerable Healthcare Programme grew even more dramatically, from 4,903 to 47,325 beneficiaries.These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Yet Kano State is showing that these barriers are not insurmountable. They can be overcome when policy is matched with disciplined execution, community presence, and leadership that treats health insurance not as paperwork, but as protection for real people.At the centre of this progress is the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, led by Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar.In three years, the agency has moved from promise to measurable impact. Total enrolment increased from 497,262 in June 2023 to 1,187,119 by May 2026, a 139 per cent increase that brought more than one million Kano residents under health insurance coverage. This is more than a routine administrative achievement. It signals that Kano has built one of Nigeria’s most dynamic state health insurance systems, and the evidence is striking.Under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund gateway, Kano expanded primary healthcare-linked coverage from 108,664 beneficiaries to 580,484 beneficiaries, representing a 434 per cent increase.The state-funded Vulnerable Healthcare Programme grew even more dramatically, from 4,903 to 47,325 beneficiaries.These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria At the centre of this progress is the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, led by Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar.In three years, the agency has moved from promise to measurable impact. Total enrolment increased from 497,262 in June 2023 to 1,187,119 by May 2026, a 139 per cent increase that brought more than one million Kano residents under health insurance coverage. This is more than a routine administrative achievement. It signals that Kano has built one of Nigeria’s most dynamic state health insurance systems, and the evidence is striking.Under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund gateway, Kano expanded primary healthcare-linked coverage from 108,664 beneficiaries to 580,484 beneficiaries, representing a 434 per cent increase.The state-funded Vulnerable Healthcare Programme grew even more dramatically, from 4,903 to 47,325 beneficiaries.These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria In three years, the agency has moved from promise to measurable impact. Total enrolment increased from 497,262 in June 2023 to 1,187,119 by May 2026, a 139 per cent increase that brought more than one million Kano residents under health insurance coverage. This is more than a routine administrative achievement. It signals that Kano has built one of Nigeria’s most dynamic state health insurance systems, and the evidence is striking.Under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund gateway, Kano expanded primary healthcare-linked coverage from 108,664 beneficiaries to 580,484 beneficiaries, representing a 434 per cent increase.The state-funded Vulnerable Healthcare Programme grew even more dramatically, from 4,903 to 47,325 beneficiaries.These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund gateway, Kano expanded primary healthcare-linked coverage from 108,664 beneficiaries to 580,484 beneficiaries, representing a 434 per cent increase.The state-funded Vulnerable Healthcare Programme grew even more dramatically, from 4,903 to 47,325 beneficiaries.These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria The state-funded Vulnerable Healthcare Programme grew even more dramatically, from 4,903 to 47,325 beneficiaries.These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria These figures matter because they speak directly to the people most likely to be excluded from formal health financing: pregnant women, children under five, persons with disabilities, sickle cell patients, low-income retirees, orphans, widows, inmates and other vulnerable groups.What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria What makes Kano’s story compelling is not only the scale of enrolment but also the method behind it. KSCHMA decentralised registration through 44 local government liaison offices, community registration centres, and a self-service portal. It took enrolment closer to communities rather than waiting for communities to find their way to the headquarters.That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria That shift reduced travel time, waiting time and confusion. More importantly, it transformed health insurance from a distant government scheme into a local service that people could understand, question and access.Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Leadership also showed in Kano’s willingness to innovate where conventional systems were failing. KSCHMA established Nigeria’s first State Social Health Insurance Agency Rapid Response Team, combining emergency care, same-day enrolment, facility linkage and welfare referrals for vulnerable people identified through distress calls, community reports and field visits.For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria For a malnourished child, an accident survivor or a poor household with no documentation, this model removes the barrier between need and access. It demonstrates that health insurance must meet people where vulnerability is most visible.Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Kano has also opened new financing pathways for universal health coverage. Through its Zakat and Waqf-linked ethical health financing model, faith-based institutions now pay premiums for indigent beneficiaries. The programme has enrolled orphans, Almajiri children and pregnant women at no personal cost, demonstrating that domestic philanthropy can be organised into a credible health insurance financing mechanism.In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria In a country where government and donor resources are stretched, this offers an important lesson: local social solidarity can be converted into financial protection when institutions are trusted and transparent.The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria The agency’s custodial health insurance model is another bold example. By enrolling inmates in correctional facilities and training healthcare workers on referral pathways, KSCHMA affirmed a simple but often overlooked principle: the loss of liberty should not mean the loss of the right to healthcare.This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria This rights-based approach gives Kano a national voice in inclusive health financing and offers a model that other states can replicate without waiting for new legislation.Related NewsLagos urges healthy lifestyle to improve public healthKano gov unveils grassroots push for 2027 pollsUp to 45% of dementia cases can be prevented — WHOThe agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria The agency’s work is equally evident in the less glamorous reforms that make health insurance credible. KSCHMA disbursed ₦2.9 billion in capitation to primary healthcare providers in 2025. It removed 8,875 ghost enrollees through a data-driven audit, saving ₦42.6 million that could be redirected to genuine beneficiaries.It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria It also reduced claims processing time from about 30 days to six days and introduced online authorisation codes to control spending without delaying legitimate care. These are the systems that turn enrolment figures into meaningful healthcare access.Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Quality assurance has received similar attention. The agency conducted 968 supportive supervisory visits across accredited facilities, resolved thousands of enrollee complaints, and tracked service utilisation through surveys and digital platforms.In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria In 2025 alone, 605,582 enrollees accessed healthcare services, representing a 56 per cent utilisation rate. The distinction is important. Universal health coverage is not achieved when names simply appear on a register. It is achieved when people actually receive care, medicines, referrals and protection from financial hardship.Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Digital transformation has further strengthened this progress. KSCHMA deployed a primary healthcare service utilisation portal, trained more than 1,000 healthcare providers across hundreds of facilities, introduced electronic medical records in high-volume hospitals, upgraded its website and contact centre, and adopted digital financial management systems.These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria These reforms may sound technical, but their impact is profoundly human: better data, faster decisions, fewer errors, stronger accountability and a health insurance system capable of expanding without collapsing under administrative burdens.This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria This is why Dr Rahila Aliyu Muktar’s leadership deserves attention beyond Kano. The lesson is not that one individual alone builds a health system. Rather, it is that committed leadership can organise teams, sharpen priorities, build partnerships, insist on accountability, and maintain a focus on citizens who are too often overlooked.Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Her tenure demonstrates the value of combining compassion with management discipline by enrolling vulnerable people, paying healthcare providers promptly, tackling fraud, listening to beneficiaries and using data to close implementation gaps.Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Kano’s recognition as one of Nigeria’s top-performing State Social Health Insurance Agencies is, therefore, no accident. It reflects institutional commitment, political support from the Kano State Government, sustained fieldwork, community engagement, provider management and the patience required to make public systems work in challenging environments.For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria For Nigeria, the implication is clear. Universal health coverage will not be delivered through slogans. It will be achieved by states that expand enrolment, safeguard public funds, strengthen health facilities, respond to complaints, and make the poorest citizens visible in public budgeting.Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Kano has shown that this is possible when leadership is purposeful and implementation is relentless.The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria The next task is consolidation. Enrolment must continue to translate into timely, respectful and quality healthcare. Health facilities must remain prepared, data must remain accurate, and communities must continue receiving clear information.Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria Kano has already sent a powerful message to the federation: with commitment, hard work and accountable leadership, health insurance can become more than a policy promise—it can become a lifeline.SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria SadiqAbdullateef is a former Editor of Leadership Newspaper, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and publisher of News Point Nigeria