Lagos sets December 31 deadline for mandatory health insurance

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu flagged off enforcement of mandatory health insurance on Tuesday, October 27, giving every resident, worker and employer in the state until December 31, 2026 to obtain cover, with enforcement commencing on January 1, 2027. The governor announced the grace period at an event in Victoria Island, at the Lagos Continental Hotel, themed “Lagos Covered: A Shared Commitment, a Healthier Lagos,” where he also unveiled the Lagos Private Health Plans.

A new plan fills the formal-sector gap

The new Lagos Private Health Plans (LPHP), endorsed by 21 Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs), are designed for salaried workers and corporate organisations, while the existing Ilera Eko scheme continues to focus on vulnerable residents and people in the informal economy. The policy is anchored on Executive Order EO/BOS/01 of 2024, signed on July 16, 2024; the state said actuarial analysis of about two million claims and enrolment records informed the development of the new plan.

What the governor said

Sanwo-Olu said the executive order assigns duties to individuals, employers and the government alike, and that its real aim is not punishment but making sure every Lagosian can get quality care without being pushed into financial distress. “We want compliance, not unnecessary confrontation,” he said, urging employers and workers to use the grace period to select suitable plans and complete registration. He told employers to treat staff healthcare as a normal cost of running a business, in the same way they budget for pensions, and insisted that no hospital or clinic should refuse emergency patients because they cannot pay: patients must be stabilised first before any discussion of bills or insurance.

How enforcement will work

The state has set up a Lagos Private Health Plan Implementation Steering Committee and an Enforcement Task Force, and inaugurated two boards to support the initiative, with operational guidelines and enrolment support to follow before the deadline. Part of the contributions will also support the Lagos State Health Equity Fund and public healthcare infrastructure, which the governor said would make payments to providers more predictable and reduce pressure on public hospitals.