Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration is shifting from delivering healthcare projects to building enduring systems that guarantee quality, accessible and affordable healthcare for all residents.
Speaking at the opening of the Second Eko Health Convention 2026 held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, the governor said 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 his keynote address titled “From Promises Kept to Systems Built: Connecting Access with Excellence,” Sanwo-Olu said the goal of his administration is to institutionalise reforms that will outlive the present government.
He said, “Access without excellence is a queue. Excellence without access is a showpiece. Lagos is not interested in either. Our task is to make quality healthcare both reachable and worth reaching.”
The governor disclosed that over 1.5 million Lagos residents have enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, Ilera Eko, following the domestication of the National Health Insurance Authority Act, which makes health insurance compulsory for residents.
According to him, as of May 2026, 1,502,994 Lagosians had enrolled in the scheme, with women accounting for more than half of the beneficiaries.
Sanwo-Olu said the state also introduced the LASHMA Assistance in Distress (LAD) programme, which ensures emergency patients receive immediate treatment before payment is considered.
He revealed that since the programme became operational in March, it has saved 18 lives, including victims of road crashes, obstetric emergencies, strokes and other critical conditions.
To improve affordability, the governor said the state launched Ilera Eko EasyPay, allowing residents to pay insurance premiums in instalments, while vulnerable residents are covered through the state’s Equity Fund.
On healthcare delivery, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos has decentralised primary healthcare administration into six health districts, reducing waiting time in public facilities by about 50 per cent over the last two years while significantly improving patient satisfaction.
He added that maternal and child centres in Eti-Osa, Badagry and Epe, alongside mobile clinics serving riverine communities, have improved access to healthcare across the state.
The governor also highlighted ongoing investments in new general hospitals, resident doctors’ quarters, specialist hospitals, climate-smart primary healthcare centres, a children’s hospital and a mental health institute at Ketu-Ejirin.
He stressed that quality healthcare goes beyond infrastructure.
“Excellence is not a building. Excellence is what happens inside it on an ordinary Tuesday when nobody important is watching,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed the government’s resolve to strengthen regulation by empowering the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency to sanction substandard facilities and clamp down on quackery.
On digital health, the governor announced that the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP) has reached about 30 per cent implementation across public hospitals and more than 300 primary healthcare centres.
He said the platform would enable seamless sharing of patients’ medical records across health facilities, improve disease surveillance and support artificial intelligence-driven healthcare planning.
According to him, the state recently launched a Digital Health Innovation Challenge to encourage innovators to develop technology solutions in emergency care, insurance, neonatal health, sickle cell management and medication adherence.
Despite the gains, Sanwo-Olu acknowledged critical challenges facing the health sector, revealing that Lagos requires about 40,000 doctors but currently has only about 7,000, while an additional 40,000 nurses are needed to adequately serve the state’s growing population.
He also disclosed a funding gap of over ₦100 billion between the state’s current health budget and actual healthcare financing needs.
The governor called on the private sector, development partners and healthcare professionals to collaborate with the government in building a sustainable healthcare system.
He urged residents to enrol in health insurance, participate in vaccination programmes, eliminate environmental health risks and report illegal medical practitioners.
Declaring the convention open, Sanwo-Olu said the reforms initiated by his administration must endure beyond its tenure.
“We have kept our promises. Now we are building the systems that will keep them long after us,” he said.
