The Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) is steadily expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare across the state, in line with Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s #Health4AllRivers vision, its Executive Secretary has said.
Speaking during an advocacy visit to Renaissance Africa Energy Limited in Port Harcourt, Dr. Vetty Agala took stock of the strides made by the agency since it became fully operational in January 2024. She noted that RIVCHPP has, within a relatively short period, recorded remarkable progress in extending health insurance coverage to residents across the state.
According to Agala, sustained awareness campaigns targeting both the formal and informal sectors have been central to this growth. These campaigns have helped RIVCHPP enrol more than 160,000 residents into the health insurance scheme, spanning all 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
This wide-reaching enrolment drive, she said, reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring that healthcare coverage is not limited to any particular region or social class, but extends to residents in both urban and rural communities.
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Agala further disclosed that despite Rivers State being among the last in Nigeria to operationalise a state health insurance agency, RIVCHPP has since made significant gains.
The state has climbed to the 13th position nationally in Universal Health Coverage performance, and was recognised as the most improved state during the 2025 Joint Annual Review Meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Health, a development she described as a testament to the agency’s rapid progress.
The advocacy visit to Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, she added, underscores the importance of strategic partnerships between government and the private sector in strengthening healthcare financing and accelerating the drive toward Universal Health Coverage in Rivers State.
Such collaborations, according to her, are vital in mobilising resources and expanding awareness of the scheme among employees and their dependents.
RIVCHPP reiterated its commitment to protecting households from health poverty, stressing that no eligible resident should be denied access to quality healthcare due to financial constraints. The agency reaffirmed its mandate: RIVCHPP… Protecting Households from Health Poverty.
