Lagos mandates health insurance by Dec 31, enforcement starts Jan 2027
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced Tuesday that all residents must obtain health insurance by December 31, 2026, with mandatory enforcement beginning January 1, 2027. The policy, under Executive Order EO/BOS/01 of 2024, applies to individuals, employers, and workers across the state. Sanwo-Olu simultaneously unveiled the Lagos Private Health Plans (LPHP) targeting salaried workers and corporate organisations, complementing Ilera Eko which serves vulnerable residents and the informal sector. Twenty-one health maintenance organisations have endorsed the new private plans.
Employers must treat workers' healthcare as a mandatory cost of doing business alongside pensions. Healthcare providers are directed to stabilise emergency patients before addressing payment or insurance issues. The state has tripled its Health Equity Fund from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion to cover premiums for over 500,000 vulnerable residents. LASHMA will drive enrolment through radio, billboards, digital campaigns, and partnerships with traditional rulers, market associations, and transport unions.
This extends an earlier plan that targeted Q3 2025 for full enforcement. Lagos recorded 2.76 million enrollees in 2025—second nationally behind Delta State—with private HMOs covering 1.18 million residents, the highest in Nigeria and more than half of the national private HMO total. Lagos State Social Health Insurance accounts for 1.10 million enrollees, while the federal formal sector adds 256,525.
With just over a year until enforcement, residents without coverage should evaluate LPHP options through participating HMOs or Ilera Eko if eligible. Employers need to budget for staff premiums immediately. Will you secure coverage through your employer, purchase a private plan, or qualify for the expanded equity fund before the deadline?