The Lagos State Government is stepping up efforts to make healthcare affordable and accessible for every resident.
EpeInsights reports that the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) on Thursday hosted a strategic retreat at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, bringing together the Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro and the Body of Permanent Secretaries to chart the next steps for mandatory health insurance.
The meeting followed the Executive Order signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in July 2024, which made enrolment into the Lagos State Health Scheme, known as Ilera-Eko, compulsory. The retreat served as an opportunity to align state institutions with this new directive and renew the call for residents to embrace the scheme.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Service emphasized that healthcare is the foundation for a productive society.
He observed that many Lagosians are pushed into poverty by medical bills, sometimes resorting to selling properties or relying on self-medication and stressed that health insurance would protect residents from such financial setbacks.
To encourage participation, he pointed to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s approval of a 75 percent subsidy on premiums for civil servants and their families, alongside a free one-year cover for retirees.
The message to Permanent Secretaries was direct: they must take the lead in enforcing the Executive Order. As the first point of contact with residents through their Ministries, Departments and Agencies, they were urged to ensure that health insurance enrolment becomes a normal part of service delivery.
Chairman of the LASHMA Board, Dr. Adebayo Adedewe, described the retreat as a strategic platform to align MDAs with both the Governor’s directive and the national mandate for compulsory health insurance.
He highlighted the state’s progress, with enrolment growing from 100,000 residents in 2020 to more than one million today, thanks to initiatives such as flexible “Pay Small Small” options, telemedicine, market enrolment booths, cooperative schemes and cross-border partnerships with Ogun State.
The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, praised Lagos as a model for the country, noting that success in the state would set the tone for nationwide compliance.
He urged Lagos to scale up enrolment to five million residents and beyond but cautioned that enforcement must be matched with trust and quality service, otherwise residents might resist.
Permanent Secretaries from various ministries shared how they are already integrating Ilera-Eko into their work.
The Ministry of Health is pushing enrolment in state facilities, the Primary Health Care Board is driving grassroots awareness, the Ministry of Establishments has embedded insurance into civil servant training, while the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment has begun registering artisans, SMEs and jobseekers at fairs and empowerment programmes.
Several of these officials were decorated as Ilera-Eko Champions, while the Head of Service was honoured as an Ilera-Eko Ambassador.
The retreat ended with a collective commitment to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and enforce the Executive Order. For Lagos, the initiative is more than just a policy shift; it is a move toward protecting families from financial ruin caused by medical expenses and ensuring that healthcare access is no longer a privilege but a right.
In the words of one participant, no one in Lagos should become bankrupt because of healthcare.
