LTA, NICO, NIR Sign MOU -Launch National Health Scheme Pilot Project

By H Matthew Turry

MONROVIA – The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), the National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL), and the National Identification Registry (NIR) on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch a pilot program for a National Health Scheme.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Paynesville at the LTA headquarters, the LTA Chairman Abdullah Kamara said the scheme was aimed to provide affordable healthcare to a segment of the population, mirroring universal health coverage.

“The pilot will initially cover 3,000 to 5,000 citizens and will use the national identification card as a validation tool to ensure citizenship and prevent fraud,” he said, emphasizing the need minimize the financial burden on participants, even those with minimal income and will last for six months.

“The national insurance scheme pilot program will be implemented by the National Insurance Corporation of Liberia (NICOL), and validated by the National Identification Registry (NIR) to support scheme,” he said.

Abdullah Kamara said the results of the six-month pilot will inform future policy decisions and discussions with stakeholders regarding the implementation of a broader national insurance scheme.

Abdullah Swaray, Acting Managing Director of the National Insurance Company of Liberia (NICOL), said at the ceremony that the universal health care is an idea that have been piloted in other countries that is intended to cover all, or a major segment of the population that have come from the low minimal wage

“The core value of the national universal health scheme is to provide health service for the underprivileged,” he added. “The MOU signifies a step towards universal health coverage in Liberia, with a focus on providing affordable healthcare to the needed.

The NICOL acting boss said the pilot program would provide valuable data and insights to inform the development and implementation of a larger national insurance scheme and that effective July 1, 2025, the service will be open to the public.

For his part, the National Identification Registry (NIR) Director General Andrew Peter said his institution was prepared to work with all government agencies to uniquely identify citizens and foreign residents, reducing fraud and double-dipping.

The NIR Director General noted that the use of the national identification card is crucial for validating citizenship, preventing fraud, and ensuring the integrity of the scheme.

He said President Joseph Boakai has issued an executive order making the use of the national identification card mandatory for all services provided by government ministries and agencies, including private institutions.

“The President’s executive order underscores the importance of national identification in accessing government services and combating fraud,” he said, and added: “The collaboration between NICO, LTA, and NIR is essential for the success of the pilot program and the broader goal of achieving universal health coverage.”