The Osun Health Insurance Agency (OSHIA) has unveiled a new empowerment programme for Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs) as part of activities marking the 2025 International Disability Day. The initiative, championed by Governor Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, was announced during a joint press briefing held at the OSHIA Conference Room, Abeere.
Speaking at the briefing, the Executive Secretary of OSHIA, Dr. Rasaq Akindele, said the governor approved the distribution of Point-of-Sale (POS) devices and business support packages to PWDs as a show of love and inclusiveness. “I welcome you specially to highlight yet another commendable gesture of our performing Governor,” he told journalists, explaining that the programme also forms part of the governor’s third-year anniversary celebrations.
Dr. Akindele recalled that in 2024, the governor enrolled all PWDs into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) at no cost. He added that the governor also provided thousands of life-support devices, including motorized and manual wheelchairs, crutches, hearing aids, walking sticks, glasses, inhalers, and infrared creams. According to him, “Thousands of PWDs benefitted from that intervention.”
He further stated that the governor had earlier extended free health insurance coverage to all pensioners in the state. Akindele noted that this move was widely applauded because it “ensured that no senior citizen is left behind in accessing quality healthcare.”
Highlighting OSHIA’s activities for 2025, Dr. Akindele listed a series of major achievements. He explained that a statewide School Eye Health Programme screened more than 450,000 students, diagnosing 45,120 with vision-related challenges. He said 80 percent of those diagnosed received medical treatment and corrective lenses, while 20 percent underwent necessary surgeries.
He also disclosed that OSHIA recently achieved a national milestone by enrolling 1,200 inmates from the Ilesa and Ile-Ife Correctional Centers into the state’s health insurance scheme. He stated that both correctional facility clinics were accredited and capitation payments had begun. According to him, “This guarantees sustained access to healthcare services for inmates and represents a first-of-its-kind achievement in Nigeria.”
Another intervention highlighted during the press briefing was OHIS support for the Osun State Chapter of the National Association of Pensioners, which included sinking a borehole at the association’s secretariat. Dr. Akindele said the agency undertook the project to ensure pensioners had reliable access to clean drinking water to safeguard their health.
He further announced that the State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, recently received a 4D fully automated ultrasound machine. Describing it as “the best of its kind in this operational terrain,” he explained that the equipment had significantly boosted maternal and diagnostic services in the facility.
In response to economic changes, OSHIA also embarked on an upward review of capitation rates from ₦570 to ₦700. Dr. Akindele said the adjustment positions Osun as “the highest-paying health insurance agency in Southwest Nigeria,” adding that the new rate will enhance service delivery and strengthen relationships with healthcare providers.
The Executive Secretary of the Osun State Bureau for People Living With Disability, who collaborated on the briefing, praised Governor Adeleke for what he called “genuine compassion and commitment to inclusive governance.” He said the POS empowerment programme would increase financial independence among PWDs across the state.
Dr. Akindele concluded by reaffirming the administration’s commitment to improving lives across Osun. “We are here to convey His Excellency’s magnanimity, passion for the people, and genuineness of purpose in governance,” he said.
The press briefing ended with a call for continued public support for the state’s social and healthcare reforms.
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