The Lagos State Government has inaugurated the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) Enforcement Team, marking the full implementation of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order on mandatory social health insurance for all residents.
The inauguration, held at the Public Service Office, Alausa-Ikeja, represents a major step in the state’s push for universal health coverage through the Ilera-Eko Social Health Insurance Scheme and the reduction of out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, described the exercise as a key milestone in Lagos State’s health reforms, noting that the Executive Order reflects the government’s commitment to affordable and accessible healthcare.
He explained that extensive consultations had been held with Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies to ensure smooth implementation. Enforcement, he said, will be phased, starting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) before extending to local governments, the formal sector and corporate organisations.
Agoro stressed that enforcement is not punitive but focused on compliance, adding that access to certain government services may be restricted for those who fail to enroll, similar to tax requirements. He directed MDAs to ensure staff enrollment, integrate the Ilera-Eko registration link on their websites and request proof of enrollment before providing services.
He also announced that evidence of enrollment would now be required during monthly staff audits, warning that salaries of non-compliant officers would be withheld, noting that government already subsidises 75 per cent of the premium.
The Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, commended Lagos State for leading the implementation of mandatory health insurance, describing it as consistent with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector renewal agenda and the National Health Insurance Act of 2022.
Ohiri said health insurance remains a vital tool for preventing health-related poverty and pledged continued federal support for the state’s initiative.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, said the Enforcement Team was constituted in line with the Governor’s July 16, 2024 Executive Order mandating health insurance enrollment for all residents.
She explained that Ilera-Eko offers various plans tailored to different needs and disclosed that enforcement officers had undergone specialised training to ensure professionalism and fairness.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Parastatal Monitoring, Hon. Ibrahim Obanikoro, urged residents to embrace the scheme, while the Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Office, Mrs. Sunkanmi Oyegbola, reiterated that proof of enrollment would be mandatory during staff audits, declaring, “No enrollment, no pay.”
The inauguration signals a shift from voluntary participation to structured compliance as Lagos State intensifies efforts to achieve universal health coverage and protect residents from the financial risks of ill health.
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