The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health, has assured residents of life-saving reforms set to shape the future of healthcare delivery in Lagos, Africa’s largest megacity.
The State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, made this known during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing, where he presented a six-year scorecard of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in the health sector.
Presenting the scorecard, Professor Abayomi described the past six years as a period of “radical transformation in the architecture, access, and resilience of Lagos’ healthcare system,” emphasising that the progress made was the result of collaborative efforts between government officials, healthcare professionals, and development partners.
“Lagos is home to approximately 30 million people, with a rapid annual population growth rate of 6 to 8 percent,, this places significant demand on our health system, requiring smart, scalable, and resilient solutions,” he said.
The Commissioner highlighted the dual structure of the state’s healthcare ecosystem, consisting of 360 public health facilities and over 3,500 private health establishments.
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He also noted the regulatory challenges presented by the largely unregulated private sector, assuring that the government is committed to bridging the public-private divide to ensure quality and equity.
Referencing the Lagos State Development Plan (2022–2052), Abayomi explained that the ongoing health sector reforms are strategically aligned to achieve Universal Health Coverage and to position Lagos as a sub-Saharan hub for medical tourism.
Maternal deaths
Despite Lagos having the lowest maternal mortality rate in Nigeria—430 per 100,000 live births—Abayomi deemed it unacceptable.
According to him, “We’ve declared zero tolerance for preventable maternal deaths, and our goal is to reduce this figure to 37 per 100,000 within the next two to three decades.”
While pointing out that only 5% of Lagos residents are currently enrolled in health insurance, the Commissioner outlined plans to achieve universal coverage within 20 years.
He stressed the need to increase budgetary allocation from the current 8% to the 15% target, supported by dynamic reallocations throughout the fiscal year.
Brain drain
To tackle the nationwide brain drain, Abayomi emphasised Lagos’ strategic investment in workforce development. With only 7,000 doctors serving 30 million residents—well below the WHO benchmark of one doctor per 600 patients—he noted a shortfall of 33,000 doctors. “That’s why we are prioritising training,” he said.
A key element of this strategy, the Commissioner said, is the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMH), which will train 2,500 students annually, 40% of whom will become doctors. “Legislation is almost complete, and construction is underway at key locations including the Cardiorenal Centre in Gbagada and the Isolation Centre at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba,” he revealed.
The Commissioner reiterated the government’s ‘Prevent, Test, Treat, Track’ policy, which promotes preventive strategies such as the use of insecticide-treated nets and environmental sanitation to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
He stressed that not every fever is malaria, noting that misdiagnosis can cost lives.
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