The Lagos State Government has set December 31, 2026, because the deadline for residents to obtain health insurance, warning that enforcement of the obligatory protection coverage will start on January 1, 2027.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu introduced the deadline on Tuesday whereas launching the enforcement of obligatory health insurance below Executive Order EO/BOS/01 of 2024.
According to an announcement issued by the (*31*) of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Sanwo-Olu additionally launched the Lagos Private Health Plans to present insurance protection for salaried workers and company organisations.
The new plans are anticipated to complement the prevailing Ilera Eko scheme, which caters to susceptible residents and other people working within the casual sector.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu gave every resident until 31 December 2026 to obtain insurance cover, with enforcement commencing on 1 January 2027,” the assertion mentioned.
Speaking at an occasion in Victoria Island attended by authorities officers, healthcare professionals and stakeholders from the private and non-private sectors, the governor mentioned the coverage was designed to make sure that all Lagos residents may entry high quality medical providers with out dealing with monetary difficulties.
He defined that the manager order was not merely supposed to compel enrolment however to assure wider entry to healthcare by means of insurance protection.
“The ultimate objective of the Executive Order went beyond enforcement. It was to ensure that every Lagos resident was covered by health insurance and could access quality healthcare services without suffering financial hardship,” he mentioned.
The assertion added that people, employers and employees have been all required to take part within the social health insurance system, with the manager order outlining particular tasks for residents, companies and the federal government.
He defined that whereas Ilera Eko was designed for susceptible teams and informal-sector employees, the newly launched non-public health plans would cater to salaried workers and employers.
The governor additionally urged employers to deal with employees’ healthcare as a necessary enterprise expense, identical to pension contributions and different statutory employment obligations.
On emergency therapy, Sanwo-Olu confused that healthcare suppliers should not deny sufferers pressing medical consideration as a result of they lacked cash or insurance protection. He mentioned sufferers should first be stabilised earlier than cost or insurance points have been thought of.
He disclosed that 21 health upkeep organisations had agreed to take part within the new plans, describing the association as a collaboration between the federal government and private-sector operators to widen insurance protection and enhance healthcare supply.
Sanwo-Olu additionally appealed to medical professionals contemplating leaving Nigeria to rethink, arguing that improved healthcare financing may assist strengthen the sector and create a extra sustainable atmosphere for practitioners.
Speaking on the occasion, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, mentioned the rising price of healthcare had been pushed partly by advances in medical expertise, together with synthetic intelligence, robotics and trendy diagnostic tools.
He emphasised the necessity for an inclusive and sustainable health insurance system to defend residents from escalating medical payments whereas making certain entry to high quality providers.
Abayomi described the initiative as a big change in healthcare financing, noting that the heavy reliance on out-of-pocket funds positioned appreciable stress on households and healthcare services.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, LASHMA, Dr Adebayo Adedewe, disclosed that the state authorities had raised its Health Equity Fund from N1bn to N3bn to prolong insurance protection to greater than 500,000 susceptible residents unable to afford the required premiums.
He mentioned the company would proceed to improve enrolment, intensify public consciousness and make sure that the coverage translated into accessible healthcare providers throughout the state.
Adedewe added that LASHMA had expanded its neighborhood engagement efforts by means of radio campaigns, billboards, digital advocacy and partnerships with conventional rulers, market associations, transport unions and different grassroots organisations.
