Gov Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday said the
state would begin the implementation of Health Insurance Scheme in 2018 to make
healthcare accessible to every resident, irrespective of financial status.
The governor said this when Queen Maxima Cerruti of
Netherlands and her entourage paid him a courtesy visit at State House in
Alausa, Lagos.
Ambode thanked the queen for being an advocate of womanhood
and humanity. He explained the positive impact of his administration on
health issues and the health insurance scheme. He added that the establishment
of State Employment Trust Fund was part of efforts toward ensuring financial
inclusion for the people with a focus on the informal sector, a move which he
said helped greatly in the last two years.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to scale up
financial assistance to all Nigerians. He promised: “a robust partnership with
the Netherlands and other relevant stakeholders at delivering government of
inclusion to Lagosians.” Cerruti, who is also a UN Secretary-General Special
Advocate for Financial Inclusion and Development, commended Ambode “for the
push to make Health Insurance Scheme a priority.” She said she was in Nigeria
to engage stakeholders on the advancement of financial inclusion as a vehicle
to ending poverty.
She commended the efforts of Lagos State Government to
establish its health insurance scheme, adding that she was impressed with the
leadership quality and status of the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that the Queen, as UN advocate on issues surrounding financial
inclusion, is in Nigeria to meet stakeholders and discuss how to alleviate
poverty and foster equitable economic growth.
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