Health
Sanwo-Olu unveils fresh health reforms, pushes mandatory insurance to achieve UHC
By Iyanuoluwa Abiola
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday unveiled new reforms in health insurance and digital health, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to ensuring that every resident enjoys quality healthcare, irrespective of location or income.
Speaking at the opening of the Second Eko Health Convention 2026, held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Sanwo-Olu said his administration was shifting from delivering healthcare projects to building enduring systems that guarantee quality, accessible and affordable healthcare for all residents.
The governor noted that mandatory health insurance remained the cornerstone of achieving universal health coverage in Lagos.
He maintained that Lagos was committed to connecting access with excellence through health insurance expansion, digital innovation, stronger regulation and strategic partnerships.
The two-day convention, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Health, has as its theme, “Building a Healthier Lagos: Connecting Access with Excellence,” with the sub-theme, “Leveraging Digital Innovation and Strategic Partnerships for Better Outcomes.”
Delivering the keynote speech, the governor said the reforms would strengthen the health system and protect residents from the financial burden of illness.
He described mandatory health insurance as a key pillar of his administration’s agenda, noting that many Nigerians still rely on out-of-pocket payments for medical care, a trend he said was unsustainable.
“Roughly three-quarters of what is spent on healthcare comes directly from the pockets of citizens at the point of illness. That is not the kind of health financing system we want. Health insurance works by pooling funds and sharing risks so that the healthy and the sick, the young and the old, can support one another,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor disclosed that more than 1.5 million Lagos residents had enrolled in the Lagos State Health Scheme, with women accounting for more than half of the beneficiaries.
He expressed optimism that increased enrolment would expand access to care and reduce the risk of catastrophic medical expenses.
He highlighted innovative initiatives, including the Ilera Eko EasyPay platform, which allows residents to pay health insurance premiums in instalments; the Equity Fund, which finances premiums for vulnerable citizens; and the LASHMA Assistance in Distress initiative, which ensures that emergency patients receive treatment before payment issues are addressed.
Commending the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Sanwo-Olu urged the agency to sustain the momentum in expanding insurance coverage across the state.
Turning to healthcare infrastructure, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos had continued to decentralise healthcare administration through six Health Districts, bringing governance and decision-making closer to communities while improving patient satisfaction and reducing waiting times.
He added that Maternal and Child Centres, mobile medical outreach programmes and climate-smart Primary Healthcare Centres were expanding access, while landmark projects, including the Massey Children’s Specialist Hospital, the Lagos Mental Health Institute and other General Hospitals, were nearing completion.
The governor said Lagos was embracing evidence-based medicine and digital transformation through the Smart Health Information Platform, which would integrate medical records across Primary Healthcare Centres, General Hospitals and Teaching Hospitals.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, reflected on the transformation of Lagos’ healthcare system since 2019, saying the administration had deliberately shifted from a reactive model to a proactive, resilient and institution-driven health system under the THEMES Agenda.
Hamzat said investments in infrastructure, governance and administration had strengthened healthcare delivery across the state, citing the redevelopment of Massey Children’s Specialist Hospital, expansion of General Hospitals, the 1,500-bed Mental Health Institute and the mandatory health insurance programme as evidence of the government’s commitment to universal health coverage.
He maintained that Lagos was in a far stronger position today than it was seven years ago.
On healthcare governance, the Deputy Governor described decentralisation through the Health Districts as one of the administration’s most impactful reforms, explaining that bringing administration closer to communities had improved accountability, generated better data for decision-making and enhanced community-based health education, particularly in maternal healthcare and referral systems.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said Lagos had moved decisively from healthcare commitments to implementation, guided by Governor Sanwo-Olu’s vision of making healthcare affordable, accessible, data-driven and people-centred.
Ogunyemi said significant progress had been recorded in strengthening primary healthcare, referral systems, emergency preparedness, disease surveillance, workforce development and operational efficiency.
She disclosed that the government had approved a stand-alone University of Medicine and Health Sciences while improving staff welfare and decentralising clinical training to address workforce shortages, insisting that no digital platform could function without motivated health workers.
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described the Eko Health Convention as a strategic platform for reviewing progress under the Lagos State Health Sector Strategic Master Plan.
He said transformational projects such as the Massey Children’s Specialist Hospital, Ojo General Hospital, Mental Health Institute and the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health Sciences were already attracting interest from healthcare professionals in the diaspora, while digital transformation through SHIP and the Lagos State Medical Innovation Zone would position Lagos as Africa’s leading hub for healthcare innovation, manufacturing and research.
Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Hon. Musbau Aina-Lawal, commended the Ministry of Health for sustaining the Eko Health Convention, describing it as an important platform for evaluating healthcare progress.
He pledged the continued support of the legislature in advancing healthcare reforms and applauded Governor Sanwo-Olu, the health leadership and stakeholders for driving transformation in the sector.
Introducing the Eko Health Talks, the Permanent Secretary, Health Service Commission, Dr Femi Omololu, said healthcare extended beyond treatment to encompass affordability, accessibility and quality.
Delivering a presentation on “The Ilera Eko Reality: Digital Innovation in Social Health Insurance,” the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, demonstrated how technology was transforming the entire insurance value chain through digital enrolment, telemedicine, emergency response, electronic authorisation and flexible premium payment.
She said innovation was ultimately about protecting lives and ensuring that healthcare was not determined by income, geography or circumstance.
Presenting a paper titled “Care Closer to Home: How Health Districts are Reshaping Primary Care,” the Permanent Secretary, Health District V, Dr Dapo Asiyanbi, traced the evolution of public healthcare in Lagos from community-based public health practice to modern primary healthcare reforms.
He said recent governance reforms had significantly reduced waiting times and improved patient satisfaction, stressing that the future of healthcare lay in returning services to communities.
The Executive Secretary of the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, Dr Victoria Egunjobi, urged healthcare providers to embrace a culture of patient safety, reminding health professionals of their ethical obligation to “first, do no harm.”
She said HEFAMAA was moving beyond routine licensing to full accreditation, standardisation, quality assurance and continuous improvement to guarantee safe care in every health facility across Lagos.
Former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, and Commissioner I, Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, expressed delight that the Eko Health Convention had become an enduring annual platform following the successful maiden edition.
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