The Lagos State Government has disclosed that only two million of the state’s estimated 30 million residents have voluntarily enrolled in a health insurance scheme, meaning roughly one in every 15 residents is covered.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in a statement on social media on Sunday, announcing that enforcement of compulsory health insurance in the state has begun.
He said the low enrolment made the mandatory policy necessary, explaining that insurance lets residents pay for healthcare before they fall ill rather than carry the full cost of treatment when they need care.
According to Abayomi, rising healthcare costs and shrinking purchasing power mean a single hospital admission can wipe out a family’s savings.
“Healthcare costs are rising, purchasing power is shrinking, and one admission can wipe out a family’s savings,” he said.
“Health insurance pools enrolees’ premiums so that no family carries the cost alone. The rich look after the poor, the healthy look after the sick and the young look after the old. It is a numbers game. Only 2 million of 30 million Lagosians have voluntarily enrolled.”
The commissioner said the Federal Government made health insurance compulsory through the National Health Insurance Authority Act 2022, which requires Nigerians to hold a state health insurance plan before accessing other schemes. Lagos, he added, domesticated the policy through Executive Order EO/BOS/01, signed on July 16, 2024.
He said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu flagged off enforcement on October 27, 2026, alongside the introduction of the Lagos State Private Health Plans (LPHP).
Abayomi explained that the state now runs two major arrangements. The Ilera Eko scheme provides subsidised plans for residents in the informal sector and vulnerable groups, while the LPHP offers unsubsidised plans for the formal sector. The private plans come in five categories (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum), with premiums set by actuarial pricing.
The government also provides equity funding worth billions of naira to buy plans for residents who cannot afford even the subsidised Ilera Eko packages, he said, adding that the LPHP would strengthen the system through cross-subsidisation.
Abayomi said Sanwo-Olu has granted residents a moratorium until December 31, 2026, after which enforcement will begin. A steering committee and an enforcement task force will oversee implementation and publish further advisories.
The commissioner said the reform is expected to make healthcare an investable sector, improve health indices, retain medical professionals and attract Nigerian health workers in the diaspora back home. He also projected that it would improve access to hospital beds and position Lagos as a medical tourism destination.
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