Ayodeji Ake
Nigerian healthcare executive and entrepreneur Opeyemi Okunbor has led a new push to address healthcare insurance challenges faced by Nigerians in the diaspora returning home through his technology-driven startup, Healthhaven Limited.
Okunbor, a trained dental surgeon turned healthcare systems expert, said years of working within Nigeria’s healthcare and insurance sectors exposed critical gaps affecting diaspora Nigerians who visit the country without adequate medical insurance coverage.
According to him, many Nigerians living abroad often arrive in the country financially prepared but medically vulnerable, despite being accustomed to more structured healthcare systems in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
“The diaspora visitor represents a unique demographic. They expect speed, transparency, and reliability, which many traditional insurance products in Nigeria were not originally designed to provide,” Okunbor explained.
Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in January 2025, Healthhaven is positioning itself as a short-term healthcare insurance provider tailored specifically for Nigerians visiting from overseas.
We plan to deploy flexible, technology-enabled insurance packages tailored to the duration of stay, healthcare needs, and customer expectations.
Currently, Okunbor is serving as the chief executive officer of Healthhaven and head of the Centre of Excellence for Operations at HCI Healthcare HMO, who oversees critical healthcare operations, including pharmacy benefits, concierge services, and medical contact systems.
He disclosed that one of his notable achievements involved reducing chronic medication claims costs by 80 percent through a direct-to-enrollee pharmaceutical delivery model supported by strategic wholesaler partnerships.
Okunbor also emphasised the growing role of data science and artificial intelligence in healthcare delivery, noting that technology would play a central role in Healthhaven operations.
The startup plans to introduce four insurance categories-Haven Basic, Haven Plus, Haven Premium, and Haven Elite- while also exploring blockchain-enabled health records and AI-powered triage systems aimed at improving continuity of care and patient safety.
For Okunbor, however, the mission remains straightforward. “We are building for a market that has been underserved for too long. Trust, execution, and consistency will define our future,” he said.
