Only two million of the estimated 30 million residents of Lagos State have voluntarily enrolled in health insurance, the state government has disclosed.
This translates to only one in every 15 Lagos residents enrolled in a health insurance scheme.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this known in a statement on social media on Sunday while announcing the commencement of enforcement of compulsory health insurance in the state.
Abayomi said the low enrolment rate made it necessary to make health insurance compulsory, adding that only two million residents had voluntarily subscribed to available health insurance plans.
He explained that health insurance allows residents to pay for healthcare before falling ill, rather than bearing the financial burden of treatment when they require medical attention.
According to him, rising healthcare costs and declining purchasing power mean that a single hospital admission could wipe out a family’s savings.
He said insurance pools premiums from enrolees to ensure that the financial burden of healthcare is shared, with the rich supporting the poor, the healthy supporting the sick, and the young supporting the elderly.
“Healthcare costs are rising, purchasing power is shrinking, and one admission can wipe out a family’s savings.
“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,” Abayomi said.
The commissioner said the Federal Government had 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 health insurance schemes.
He added that Lagos domesticated the policy through Executive Order EO/BOS/01, signed on July 16, 2024.
According to him, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu flagged off enforcement of the policy on October 27, 2026, alongside the introduction of the Lagos State Private Health Plans (LPHP).
Abayomi explained that the state now operates two major health insurance arrangements to cater for different categories of residents.
He said the Ilera Eko scheme provides subsidised health insurance plans for residents in the informal sector and vulnerable groups, while the LPHP offers unsubsidised plans for the formal sector.
The private health plans are available in five categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum, with premiums determined by actuarial pricing.
The commissioner said the government also provides equity funding worth billions of naira to purchase health insurance plans for residents who cannot afford even the subsidised Ilera Eko packages.
He added that the LPHP would further strengthen the system through cross-subsidisation.
Abayomi said Sanwo-Olu had granted residents a moratorium until December 31, 2026, after which enforcement of compulsory health insurance would begin.
He disclosed that a steering committee and an enforcement task force would oversee the implementation of the policy and publish further advisories.
The commissioner said the reform was expected to make healthcare an investable sector, improve health indices, retain medical professionals and attract Nigerian health professionals in the diaspora back to the country.
He also projected that the policy would improve access to hospital beds and position Lagos as a medical tourism destination.
