Lagos Seeks Private Investment to Strengthen Healthcare for 30m Residents
Korede Abdullah 
Lagos Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government has called for increased private-sector investment in healthcare, saying public funding alone cannot meet the needs of the state’s estimated 30 million residents.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made the appeal at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Medical, Pharmaceuticals and Allied Services Group Symposium.
He said Lagos is positioning itself to attract investments across the healthcare value chain, including hospitals, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, medical manufacturing, research, biotechnology and digital health.
According to Abayomi, achieving universal access to quality healthcare will require predictable policies, investor confidence and structured public-private partnerships.
He said the government is promoting collaborative investment models such as co-investment arrangements, risk-sharing mechanisms and long-term public-private partnerships to expand healthcare infrastructure and services.
The commissioner also identified health insurance as a major pillar of healthcare financing.
He noted that more than 70 per cent of healthcare services in Lagos are provided by private facilities, while over 70 per cent of healthcare expenditure is still paid directly by patients.
“Health insurance is central to our strategy,” Abayomi said.
He stressed that greater private investment would complement—not replace—the government’s responsibility to provide healthcare.
Calling on investors, innovators and development partners to support the state’s health agenda, Abayomi said collaboration remains critical to building a resilient and sustainable healthcare system capable of serving Lagos’ rapidly growing population.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Hope Ajayi 