FIC Report (Lagos State) – Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government has formally inaugurated the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) Enforcement Team, marking the commencement of full implementation of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order on mandatory social health insurance. The initiative aims to ensure that all residents have access to healthcare without financial hardship.
Delivering the keynote address, the Head of Service, Lagos State, Mr. Olabode Agoro, emphasized the government’s commitment to affordable, accessible, and sustainable healthcare for all residents. “This is not about arrests or sanctions; it is about advocacy, persuasion, and moral suasion,” Agoro said, adding that enforcement would involve restricting access to certain government services for those who fail to enroll.
The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, commended Lagos State for pioneering mandatory health insurance implementation, noting that it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector renewal agenda and the National Health Insurance Act of 2022. “No Nigerian should have to sell property or borrow money in the middle of the night to save a life,” Ohiri said.
The Enforcement Team, trained at the Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI), will operate with professionalism, fairness, and integrity. The team will commence enforcement in phases, starting with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the first quarter of the year, before extending to local governments, local council development areas, the formal sector, and corporate organizations.
MDAs have been directed to lead by example and ensure staff enrollment. Evidence of enrollment will be required during monthly staff audits and “pay-at-site” exercises, with non-compliant officers risking their salary being withheld. The Lagos State Government’s initiative aims to safeguard residents against financial risks associated with ill health and ensure universal health coverage and also ensure citizens have good healthcare at an affordable rate.
Signed
Dimaka Chioma
F. I. C.
22 / 01 / 2026.
