Lagos residents have until December 31 to obtain health insurance before the state government begins enforcing mandatory coverage from January 1, 2027.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the deadline on Tuesday while launching enforcement of the policy under Executive Order EO/BOS/01 of 2024.
The government also unveiled the Lagos Private Health Plans for salaried workers and corporate organisations, complementing the existing Ilera Eko scheme, which caters for vulnerable residents and people in the informal sector.
Sanwo-Olu said the policy was intended to ensure residents could access quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship. It places obligations on individuals, employers and the government to support social health insurance coverage.
He urged employers to treat workers’ healthcare as a necessary business expense, alongside pensions and other employment-related obligations.
The governor also stressed that healthcare providers must not deny patients emergency treatment because of their inability to pay or lack of insurance. Patients, he said, must first be stabilised before payment issues are addressed.
The government said 21 health maintenance organisations had endorsed participation in the new private health plans, which are expected to widen insurance coverage through public-private collaboration.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said advances in medical technology, including artificial intelligence, robotics and modern diagnostic equipment, had increased healthcare costs, making insurance more important in protecting households from rising bills.
He described the new arrangement as a shift away from reliance on out-of-pocket payments, which he said placed pressure on families and healthcare facilities.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr Adebayo Adedewe, disclosed that the state had increased its Health Equity Fund from N1bn to N3bn.
He said the fund was intended to provide health insurance for more than 500,000 vulnerable residents unable to afford premiums.
Adedewe added that the agency would intensify enrolment campaigns and community engagement through radio, billboards, digital platforms and partnerships with traditional rulers, market associations and transport unions.
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