Lagos Targets Universal Health Coverage, Moves to Bridge N100bn Healthcare Funding Gap

 

By oluwaseyi fadoro 

The Lagos State Government has declared that mandatory health insurance and stronger public-private partnerships will remain central to its healthcare financing reforms as it seeks to bridge an estimated N100 billion gap between current health sector funding and projected healthcare needs.

Speaking on Tuesday at the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said the state was intensifying efforts to expand health insurance coverage, improve healthcare infrastructure and position Lagos as a leading medical tourism destination in Africa.

Abayomi said the state had made significant progress through the Ilera-Eko health insurance scheme but acknowledged that Lagos still had a long way to go in achieving universal health coverage.

He lamented that about 77 per cent of healthcare spending in Nigeria currently comes directly from citizens’ pockets, while only two per cent is financed through insurance, describing the situation as unsustainable and abnormal.

According to him, the Lagos State 2052 Development Plan is aimed at transforming Lagos into a model mega city and positioning it among the top three healthcare destinations in Africa within the next decade.

“We do not want Lagosians travelling abroad to seek healthcare in Dubai, London, India or South Africa. We want to provide every specialty and subspecialty needed right here in Lagos,” Abayomi said.

The commissioner stressed the need to regulate and integrate the informal healthcare sector, including community pharmacies, patent medicine vendors and traditional medicine practitioners, into the broader healthcare system.

He noted that healthcare delivery in Lagos extends beyond government hospitals, with over 3,500 registered private health facilities currently operating across the state alongside numerous informal providers serving as first points of care for residents.

Abayomi also disclosed that the Lagos State Government recently held a strategic retreat involving the Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Board and local government chairmen to develop a performance-based compact aimed at improving coordination across all tiers of healthcare delivery.

He explained that the compact would focus on clearer role delineation, coordinated resource disbursement, digital health integration, improved workforce planning and stronger primary healthcare services.

On healthcare manpower, the commissioner acknowledged the global shortage of medical professionals and the impact of migration on Nigeria’s health sector, but said Lagos was implementing measures to reverse the trend through improved welfare and expanded training opportunities.

He announced that approval had been granted for the establishment of a standalone University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Lagos State to boost the production of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

According to him, the institution would decentralize clinical training across primary, secondary and private healthcare facilities while leveraging diaspora specialists and experienced professionals within the state health system.

Abayomi added that ongoing modernization and redesign projects across health facilities would improve patient experience, staff welfare, sustainability and overall healthcare outcomes.

In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Kemi Ogunyemi, highlighted the role of the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) in safeguarding patient safety and regulating healthcare standards across Lagos.

She noted that Lagos remained the first state in Nigeria to establish an agency solely dedicated to healthcare facility regulation and patient safety, adding that other states and the Federal Government were studying the Lagos model.

Ogunyemi disclosed that the rising number of hospitals, cosmetic medical spas and healthcare facilities across the state had stretched the agency’s operational capacity, making collaboration with franchise organisations and trained professionals necessary for effective monitoring and accreditation.

“If you are not comfortable with a facility, please do not use that facility. If you see something concerning poor and substandard practice, say something. We rely on the public to help us ensure patient safety,” she said.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, commended the progress recorded in Lagos healthcare delivery, especially in emergency response services, infrastructure expansion and primary healthcare strengthening.

In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dayo Lajide, expressed appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his continued support and investment in the health sector.

Lajide also praised healthcare workers across primary, secondary and tertiary facilities for their resilience and commitment to quality healthcare delivery despite growing pressures and increasing healthcare demands in the state.