Lagos State has officially been recognized as one of Nigeria’s leading health system performers following a rigorous national assessment. The milestone was marked on Wednesday at the Nigeria Health System Exemplar Analysis for Action State-Level Stakeholders’ Inception Meeting in Ikeja, where government officials and global partners gathered to launch a landmark study documenting the drivers of the state’s healthcare successes.
The multi-phase research project, organized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, with backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to analyze Lagos’ health reforms between 2013 and 2023. The ultimate goal is to create a blueprint that can strengthen healthcare delivery and replicate best practices across all states in Nigeria.
A Decade of Healthcare Transformation
Delivering the keynote address, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described the initiative as a vital opportunity for objective reflection. He noted that periodic reviews are essential to ensure health systems are moving in the right direction.
“Lagos is honored to be selected for this study. The state’s health sector achievements can only be fully understood by examining our entire healthcare ecosystem, particularly the private sector, which accounts for the majority of healthcare services accessed by our residents,” Prof. Abayomi stated.
The Commissioner emphasized that the government’s role extends far beyond managing public hospitals; it encompasses providing policy direction, robust legislation, and an enabling environment for private sector participation. He highlighted massive investments in health infrastructure, workforce development, disease surveillance, biosecurity, digital health, and health insurance as key drivers of the state’s vision to become Africa’s leading healthcare destination.
Driving National Replication
The research initiative seeks to uncover why certain states outperform others and how to scale those winning strategies nationally. Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, explained that the inception meeting was designed to secure stakeholder buy-in and establish a collaborative framework for data collection.
Validating this position, Dr. Gafar Alawode, Managing Partner of DGI Consult, revealed that Lagos earned its exemplar status through undeniable empirical data showing remarkable progress in health outcomes, service coverage, and mortality reduction over the last decade.
Dr. Simisola Alabi, the Lagos State Lead for the Exemplar Research Project, echoed this sentiment during her methodological presentation. She stated that a comprehensive analysis of national health indicators including child mortality, severe stunting, and service coverage metrics proved that Lagos consistently outperformed expectations.
Domesticating Federal Policies and the Private Sector Factor
Lagos State’s success is deeply rooted in its ability to domesticate and scale federal initiatives. Dr. Dayo Lajide, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, observed that the state successfully integrated critical national reforms, such as the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The federal government has taken keen notice of these strides. Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Director of Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Anthony Adoghe, congratulated the state on its achievements.
“Lagos State is an entity whose health indicators compare favorably with those of many developed countries. The Federal Government is increasingly committed to ensuring that data generated through surveys and health information systems are used more effectively for planning and evidence-based decision-making across the country,” Dr. Adoghe remarked.
The private sector has also pledged its full data-sharing support to ensure the study’s success. Njide Ndili, President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and Country Director of PharmAccess Foundation, commended Lagos’ pioneering role in health financing, promising that private providers would actively contribute to documenting this healthcare transformation journey.
Hard Data Backing the Success
The tangible impact of these policies was brought to light during a presentation by Dr. Faith Oniyire, Head of the Research Unit at the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Her data showcased a decade of drastic reductions in maternal mortality, under-five mortality, and malaria prevalence between 2013 and 2023.
Most notably, the state successfully enrolled more than 923,000 residents into the Ilera Eko Health Insurance Scheme and attained the highest digital health readiness ranking in Nigeria.
Moving forward, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, urged all stakeholders to participate actively in interviews and information-sharing. The consensus among attendees remains clear: the Exemplar Study is a unique opportunity to build institutional memory and provide a proven healthcare model to uplift the entire Nigerian nation.
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