Health insurance campaign reaches cocoa and gold mining families in Nigeria
ILO-backed campaign enrolls over 5,000 people in state health insurance, aiming to reduce medical costs that push children into labour.
The story in focus
The ILO, funded by the Netherlands, supports enrolment campaigns to bring state health insurance to cocoa and artisanal gold-mining communities in Nigeria. Over 5,000 people have participated, gaining access to healthcare and helping to remove a trigger of child labour: illness costs.
- More than 5,000 people have participated in health insurance enrolment campaigns supported by the ILO.
- The campaign targets informal workers in cocoa and artisanal gold-mining communities who lack health cover.
- Enrolment includes on-the-spot insurance cards, State Social Register registration, and National Identification Number issuance.
The problem: health costs and child labour
In Nigeria's cocoa-growing and artisanal gold-mining communities, most households work in the informal economy with irregular incomes and no health coverage. When illness strikes, families pay out of pocket, delay treatment, or turn to unregulated remedies. These health shocks can push children into work on farms or mining sites to cover hospital bills, according to the ILO.
The campaign: one-stop enrolment
The ILO's ACCEL Africa project, funded by the Netherlands, brings together state health insurance agencies, State Operations Coordinating Units, the National Identity Management Commission, and local partners. In a single visit, teams provide awareness sessions, on-the-spot enrolment and insurance cards, State Social Register registration, and National Identification Number issuance or verification. Beneficiaries like Abdulkareem Salau and Basirat Oyewole describe using their cards for consultations, tests, and medicines at local health centres.
Scaling the model
Enrolment continues in cocoa and artisanal gold-mining communities. The ILO is working with state agencies to turn the campaign into a step-by-step model that states can run and scale on their own or with private-sector support, particularly from cacao and gold-mining companies. The ACCEL Africa project addresses root causes of child labour in cocoa, coffee, cotton, tea, and gold supply chains across Africa.
How many people have participated in the health insurance enrolment campaigns?
More than 5,000 people have participated in the campaigns, which provide on-the-spot enrolment, insurance cards, State Social Register registration, and National Identification Number services.
Sources & further reading
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