The Lagos State Government has launched the implementation phase of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order mandating compulsory health insurance for all residents of the state.
At an event held at the Ministry of Health Conference Room in Alausa, the government inaugurated the Management Committee (ManCo) of the Lagos Private Health Partnership (LPHP), which will lead the rollout of the health insurance initiative.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who presided over the inauguration, described the development as a major step in the state’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
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He said the Executive Order represents Lagos’ strategic domestication of the National Health Insurance Authority Act, 2022.
“Today marks a critical milestone in our effort to make healthcare not just accessible but equitable and sustainable,” Mr Abayomi said.
“We are moving from fragmented health financing to a unified, digitally integrated system where every resident is covered, beginning with the formal sector.”
The LPHP, which is a public–private partnership, will coordinate the implementation through two key arms: the newly inaugurated Management Committee and a Delivery Office expected to begin operations in July 2025.
The operational guidelines for the Executive Order were developed by a technical team led by health systems expert, Prof. Afolabi Ogunlesi, following a wide-ranging stakeholder consultation.
Mr Ogunlesi noted that despite Lagos being the centre of health insurance in Nigeria, the system suffers from inefficiencies and poor coordination.
“The Executive Order and LPHP are direct interventions to address these challenges, especially within the organised private sector,” he said.
He explained that 13% of health insurance contributions would be reinvested into strengthening the system, subsidising care for vulnerable groups, and funding public education campaigns.
The initiative also aims to encourage enrolment into higher coverage plans for long-term sustainability.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr Emmanuella Zamba, called for careful policy implementation that considers the financial realities of low-income groups, particularly in the private sector.
The Management Committee members include the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi; LASHMA’s Coordinator of Regulations, Tosin Awosika; NHIA Zonal Representative; HMCAN Chairman, Dr Leke Oshunniyi; HCPAN President, Dr Austine Aipoh; Digital Platform MD, Femi Olapegba; and other key appointees.
Chairman of LASHMA, Dr Bayo Adedewe, and representatives of various healthcare provider associations and the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria were also present at the event.
The committee agreed to commence a six-to-nine-month statewide health insurance awareness campaign, to be coordinated by the Ministry’s Directorate of Public Affairs.
The Delivery Office will operate on a full-time basis with an initial 12-month tenure, with logistics and office set-up already underway.
Mr Abayomi confirmed that while Phase One targets the formal sector, subsequent phases would cover the informal sector, estimated at over 20 million residents, and other population groups.
He urged Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and service providers to participate in the LPHP, warning that non-participating organisations risk exclusion from health service delivery in the state.
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“This is not just a reform – it’s a movement. Lagos is leading, and others will follow,” he declared.
The Management Committee is expected to meet monthly and report regularly to the State Executive Council as the state advances its vision for universal health coverage.
