Oyo State Government has flagged off the enrolment of 10,000 basic school pupils into the state’s healthcare insurance scheme.
The state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, who flagged off the enrolment at the Ibadan Civic Centre, Idi-Ape, in Ibadan, said the enrolment was part of the government’s effort towards ensuring its pupils are of sound minds.
The children, enrolled from 90 schools across 18 Local Government Areas, were presented with their Insurance scheme ID cards by the deputy governor.
He said, “This scheme will ensure that our children have sound minds, while they learn in conducive environments. This event is a collective effort in securing a brighter future for the state pupils.”
In her goodwill message, the Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, noted that the launch of the state Public Primary School Pupils Health Insurance Scheme will give access to affordable, quality healthcare; a fundamental right for every child.
“This initiative reinforces our collective commitment to universal health coverage, ensuring that no child faces financial obstacles to accessing healthcare,” she said.
“Universal health coverage is more than a healthcare goal—it’s a social and economic necessity. When children have access to healthcare, they can focus on education, grow into productive adults, break the cycle of poverty, and contribute to the success of the state and Nigeria.
“This scheme exemplifies this by focusing on public primary school children, especially in hard-to-reach areas. With 90 schools already enrolled across 18 LGAs, our goal is to ensure all 33 LGAs in the state are covered, leaving no child behind.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of OYOSUBEB, Nureni Adeniran pledged the board’s commitment to the smooth take-off and sustainability of the scheme.
“At OYOSUBEB, we operate on the principle of taking care of the pupils under our care as though they are ours,” Adeniran said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, OYSHIA, Olusola Akande said “The new door being opened is focusing on providing access to healthcare for 10,000 public primary school pupils in the first instance.
