Bridging the Information Gap to Keep Educators Healthy: Health Insurance Awareness and Actions by Private School Employees in Nigeria

Abstract A nation relies on its educators to provide skills for upcoming learners and workers, good health security, and a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) should effectively support this. No previous study on NHIS in Nigeria has considered private school workers who are a significant category of the health insurance system's beneficiary population. This research in Felele, Oluyole, and Bodija included six hundred questionnaires in sixty private schools alongside focused group discussions in six schools to elicit private school workers' perception of the Nigerian NHIS. Theoretically anchored on the health belief model (HBM) and protection motivation theory (PMT), it assessed the awareness, perception, and enrolment levels of private school workers towards NHIS to bridge the information gap and improve their contributions and health of targeted workers. Results revealed a high level of awareness (81.7%) but a deficient enrolment level (7.8%). Also, it portrayed that the lack of NHIS law enforcement, poverty, inequality, unfavorable registration process, and lack of interest hinder enrolment. Nigeria needs to develop a workable system of combating healthcare issues through targeted subsidies, involving potential beneficiaries in reviewing the NHIS's policies and re-strategizing information dissemination on the programme, and removing obstacles that prevent potential enrollees from registering.