The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), Dr. Rahila Aliyu Muktar, on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, paid a Courtesy and Advocacy visit to the Director General of the Kano State Cottage Trade and Street Hawking Agency, Honourable Abubakar Ahmad Bichi, as part of deliberate efforts to strengthen inter-agency collaboration in the delivery of healthcare services to informal sector workers.
Aminu Ahmad Turaki, Public Relations Officer of the Agency disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen today.
According to Aminu, The visit was aimed at deepening strategic partnership between KSCHMA and the Agency to improve access to quality, affordable, and sustainable healthcare for cottage traders and street hawkers across Kano State, who constitute a significant segment of the informal economy.
Speaking during the engagement, Dr. Rahila Aliyu Muktar reiterated KSCHMA’s commitment to expanding health contributory coverage to vulnerable and underserved populations, in line with the Kano State Government’s vision of achieving Universal Health Coverage. She emphasized that collaboration with the Cottage Trade and Street Hawking Agency would enhance effective identification, mobilization, and enrollment of informal sector beneficiaries into the State Contributory Healthcare Scheme.
In his remarks, the Director General, Honourable Abubakar Ahmad Bichi, commended KSCHMA for the initiative and reaffirmed the Agency’s readiness to work closely with KSCHMA to safeguard the health and productivity of cottage traders and street hawkers. He noted that limited access to healthcare remains a major challenge for informal workers and described the partnership as timely and impactful.
As a major outcome of the meeting, both agencies agreed to commence a large-scale enrollment exercise targeting informal sector workers. Accordingly, a flag-off ceremony for the enrollment of 10,000 beneficiaries under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) through the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Scheme has been scheduled to hold on Friday, 2nd January 2026.
The initiative is expected to provide enrolled beneficiaries with access to essential healthcare services, significantly reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses, and improve the overall wellbeing and economic resilience of cottage traders and street hawkers across Kano State.
This collaboration underscores the Kano State Government’s sustained commitment to inclusive healthcare delivery, social protection, and the expansion of health contributory coverage to all citizens, particularly those within the informal sector.
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