Lagos sets 31 December deadline for residents to get health insurance

Lagos residents, workers and employers have until 31 December 2026 to obtain health insurance cover. Enforcement of the state's mandatory health insurance policy begins on 1 January 2027.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the deadline on Tuesday in Victoria Island while flagging off enforcement under Executive Order EO/BOS/01 of 2024. He also unveiled the Lagos Private Health Plans (LPHP), a scheme for salaried workers and corporate organisations.

The new plans sit alongside Ilera Eko, the existing scheme for vulnerable residents and people in the informal sector. According to the governor, there is now a plan for every Lagosian, whether formal, informal or vulnerable.

For an ordinary family, the pitch is simple: hospital bills should no longer wipe out the money meant for rent, school fees or food. The governor said the aim is for residents to get care without depending only on their ability to pay at the point of illness.

What the scheme means for workers and employers

Under the order, individuals, employers and government all carry responsibilities. Sanwo-Olu said employers should treat workers' healthcare as a necessary cost of doing business, like pension contributions.

He also said no healthcare provider should turn away a resident who needs emergency medical attention because of money or lack of cover. Patients should be stabilised first before payment or insurance questions are sorted out.

Twenty-one health maintenance organisations (HMOs) have signed up for the new plans. The governor said the state would monitor them to ensure bills are paid and services delivered, adding that at least 70 kobo of every naira of premium should go to care. The state said it would publish quarterly monitoring results.

He also urged doctors planning to travel abroad to reconsider, arguing that better healthcare financing could make the sector more sustainable at home.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the state is targeting at least 10 million insured residents, up from about two million now. He said the current reliance on out-of-pocket payments puts heavy pressure on households and hospitals.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr Adebayo Adedewe, said the Health Equity Fund has been raised from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion to cover more than 500,000 vulnerable residents who cannot afford premiums.

He said the agency is running radio campaigns, billboards and digital advocacy, and working with traditional rulers, market associations and transport unions to reach residents.

What happens next

The state has set up an implementation steering committee and an enforcement task force. Operational guidelines will spell out contributions, the minimum benefit package and what each participating organisation must do before enforcement starts in January.