By Ogechi Okorie
ABUJA – The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has rated National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) over 75.24 at the assessment of the deployment of BPSR Self Assessment Tool (SAT) at the agency.
This, according to BPSR, means the NHIA has exceeded expectations in all essential areas of responsibility and has performed above average and its main organizational goals are met.
BPSR Director-General, Dasuki I. Arabi, gave the assessment at the presentation of summary report on the deployment of the bureau’s SAT tool on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 held at NHIA headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, “At the end of the self-assessment, the validation assessment and in-depth analysis of NHIA operations, processes and systems, NHIA performance is rated 75.24% and therefore, emerged a ‘GOLD LEVEL Organization that EXCEEDS EXPECTATION’.
“This means that NHIA performance consistently exceeded expectations in all essential areas of responsibility. Their quality of work is above average and main organizational goals are met. It is imperative to note that the whole process of the assessment was free from both internal and external influences,” Arabi explained.
The BPSR DG also said the bureau deployed the tool at the agency in 2022, based on the Federal Government directives, with the overall objective of identifying NHIA’s strengths and weaknesses, as a first step towards ensuring the agency is fit for purpose and optimal performance.
He however gave some recommendations to NHIA based on some observations during the assessment of the deployment of the tool.
Arabi said, “NHIA Governing Board should be reconstituted; It should develop financial manual and accounting systems that comply with Financial Regulations and be regularly reviewed to ensure efficient and reliable financial reporting; NHIA implements a policy for mobilising resources from development partners to support achievement of its strategic objectives, Internal control systems should develop Risk Assessment Guide to provide for an assessment of risks from both internal and external sources.
“NHIA should also develop asset management policy to drive annual planning and budgeting for asset maintenance and replacement; NHIA should appropriately utilises modern and up-to-date technology and infrastructure to ensure efficiency and improved productivity; NHIA should have a comprehensive plan for performance management, Dr Arabi recommended.
Responding, the NHIA Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, said the deployment of the tool has revealed a lot of competencies and strengths that the organisation has and which they will rely on overtime which could also transform it to greatness.
Ohiri said, “The Public Service is the engine for any economic growth. No country can grow if the public service does not grow and that growth is not a growth in quantity but a growth in quality and the type of services provided for the Nigerian people.
“This is the engine through which any leader including the Honorable President Bola Ahmed Tinubu uses to achieve his vision for Nigeria and the Renewed Hope Agenda. And so our role is central to the government agenda and the role of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms is critical in ensuring that we continue to develop and grow accordingly.
“In as much as we have received this commendation which we deeply appreciate, we recognize that expectations are changing. The expectations Nigerians had years ago are not the same expectations that they have today.
“So with rising expectations means our level of performance has to rise and has to increase as our work is cut out for us. We are also appreciative of the independence of this. Because this was independently assessed means that it is a mirror of how NHIA is performing and how our performance is being perceived.
