Queen of Netherlands, Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to Lagos State as part of efforts to advance the United Nation’s financial inclusion advocacy as a vehicle to alleviate poverty and foster equitable economic growth in Nigeria.
Queen Maxima, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time in the last five years, in her capacity as the Special Advocate to United Nations Secretary-General on financial inclusion for development, said she was impressed by the efforts of the state government to improve service delivery especially towards expanding access to affordable healthcare.
While noting that it was important for governments to prioritise access to affordable healthcare, Queen Maxima particularly lauded the health insurance scheme of the state government, which legal framework had already been put in place, saying Governor Ambode deserved commendation for coming up with such laudable effort.
She said: “Today I had opportunity to visit two clinics in the state where I saw the new pilot project in which you (Ambode) has also started looking into which is to make health insurance possible even to the poorest of the people.
“I was very impressed by the leadership that the state of Lagos has taken as to coming up with a law which makes health insurance mandatory and also to able to plan for the future and you are already doing some credit to some health facilities which off course will improve efficiency of a lot of these institutions. I commend you for your efforts and I will like to know from you Mr Governor what is your commitment on the future in this field.”
Responding, Ambode said the health insurance scheme of the state government aimed at expanding access and scaling up healthcare delivery in the State will commence in early 2018.
He said the legal framework to guide the implementation of the policy had already been put in place, while every necessary effort to ensure the success of the scheme was being put in place.
Ambode, who received Queen Maxima alongside his wife, Bolanle Ambode, and other top officials of the state, commended the visitor for her efforts at advancing issues relating to healthcare and financial inclusion.
While drawing the similarities between Lagos and Netherlands, the governor said the state, being a cosmopolitan city, is striving as much as possible to ensure that every resident is comforted with hope of great future.
He said the present administration in the State under him was also working hard to bequeath functional and affordable healthcare system to the people of the State, just as he assured that the State Government would do everything possible to support the United Nations initiative being championed by Queen Maxima.
