Oluwafunbi Bello 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government urges residents to enrol massively in its mandatory health insurance scheme, warning that low participation weakens healthcare delivery and raises medical costs.
The Lagos State Health Management Agency (Lagos State Health Management Agency, LASHMA) says the success of Ilera Eko depends on numbers.
“The beauty of insurance is in the numbers,” says Tosin Awosika, LASHMA’s Coordinator of Regulations. “The more people that we have on board, the more services grow.”
Awosika speaks at a capacity-building workshop for journalists on the Lagos Health Scheme.
He says increased enrollment improves funding, equipment and training in health facilities, while reducing residents’ out-of-pocket spending. The state, he adds, has set aside one per cent of consolidated revenue as an equity fund to cover vulnerable residents.
Head of Ilera Eko Medical, Dr Olugbenga Fadipe, warns that rising medical costs can push households into poverty.
“We are just one illness away from extreme poverty,” he says. “Health insurance is planning for the unexpected.”
Fadipe says benefits include primary care, surgeries, maternal services, dental and eye care, with cancer care and dialysis accessible after two years of enrolment.
LASHMA also introduces an emergency aid programme guaranteeing stabilisation within the first 48 hours of care.
Residents are warned against fraud, with registration strictly cashless.
About the Author
Otamere Gladness 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 