The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has begun rolling out the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP) for its students across all geo-political zones in the country. The launch was announced on Tuesday, August 18, during an emergency meeting of the NOUN Management Committee on TISHIP at the university's headquarters in Abuja.
Four New HMOs Appointed Under TISHIP
At the meeting, four new Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) — Healthspring, Noor, Novo and Precious — were added to the scheme, bringing the total number of appointed HMOs to eight. The programme officially took effect from January 2026, according to Legit.ng.
How Students Will Access the Scheme
The Chairman of the TISHIP committee and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Prof. Shehu Usman Adamu, said every student would be enrolled through their study centre and issued a health insurance card to access medical services at designated facilities in their state of residence. He added that the university's Directorate of Management Information System (MIS) had been tasked with compiling a list of students in each senatorial district, including their names, registration numbers, email addresses and telephone numbers, to be forwarded to the relevant healthcare providers for enrolment.
Adamu said the university had already received a list of hospitals that would provide services under the scheme, and that the institution would formalise arrangements with those facilities through a Memorandum of Understanding clearly defining each party's responsibilities.
Welfare of Students a Priority
Adamu described the initiative as central to the Vice-Chancellor's agenda, saying that the welfare of NOUN students remained a top priority for Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma. He called on the newly appointed HMOs to deliver efficient healthcare services in line with that commitment, stressing that the scheme was designed to give students affordable and accessible medical care while they pursue their academic programmes.
TISHIP is a federal government-backed health insurance initiative targeted at students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, aimed at extending coverage to a population that has historically faced barriers to healthcare access.
