Meet Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo: The new NHIS boss(with photo)

Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo appointed new NHIS executive secretary.

On the 1st of July, 2019, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari formally sacked the immediate and controversial past National Health Insurance Scheme( NHIS) Usman Yusuf and replaced him with Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo. This is following allegations of corruption and recommendations of the panel set up by the presidency which indicted the former NHIS executive secretary, recommended his immediate sack and the dissolution of the NHIS Governing Council.

The president directed the new NHIS executive secretary Prof. MN Sambo to resume duties immediately.

But what do we know about Prof Sambo? Well this is what I could gather from reliable sources.

• He is a Nigerian citizen and a medical doctor
• He is presently a senior lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna
• On social media, he is described as a disciplined man and an excellent lecturer by both his former and present students
• He was a one time Head of Department of the University
• He is a Professor in Community Medicine and an expert in Epidemiology
• He is a renowned researcher
• He has written over a 100 publications with numerous citations in both Nigerian, African and World Journals
• From his publications or articles, he has a keen interest in health care financing, funding medical insurance and hand hygiene.
• He has always been an advocate and a proponent of expanding the coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme which right now only captures about 5 percent of the Nigerian population.
• He has always advocated the inclusion of cancer treatment in health insurance.
• Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo is an active member of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)
• He has been made guest speaker and a keynote lecturer in both National and International conferences.
• As at now, he does not have any social media account
• He is happily married with children
• True to his words, corruption has really reduced in the NHIS or the accusations of it. (Updated)
• More cancer drugs and surgeries are now getting included in the NHIS scheme…(Updated)