The Lagos State Government has formally inaugurated the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) Enforcement Team, marking the commencement of full implementation of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order on mandatory social health insurance aimed at achieving universal health coverage and ending out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
The inauguration, which took place on Wednesday at the Public Service Office (PSO), Alausa, Ikeja, signals a shift from voluntary participation to structured compliance under the Ilera-Eko Social Health Insurance Scheme.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Service of Lagos State, Olabode Agoro, described the initiative as a milestone in the State’s health sector reforms, noting that the Executive Order reflects the government’s commitment to affordable, accessible and sustainable healthcare for all residents.
Agoro explained that extensive stakeholder engagements preceded the rollout, including strategic retreats with Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies to ensure institutional ownership and alignment across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to him, enforcement will begin in phases, starting with MDAs in the first quarter of the year, before extending to local governments, local council development areas, the formal sector and corporate organisations.
He clarified that the enforcement drive is not punitive but advocacy-based, adding that access to certain government services may be restricted for individuals who fail to enroll, similar to tax compliance procedures.
In a major compliance directive, the Head of Service announced that proof of Ilera-Eko enrolment will now be mandatory during monthly staff audits, warning that salaries of defaulting officers would be withheld. “Government already pays 75 per cent of the premium. We cannot afford to waste resources,” he said.
Agoro also directed MDAs to lead by example by ensuring full staff enrolment, integrating LASHMA registration links on their websites and demanding evidence of enrolment before rendering services, under a “No Ilera-Eko, No Service” policy.
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Kelechi Ohiri, commended Lagos State for pioneering the implementation of mandatory health insurance, describing the move as aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector renewal agenda and the National Health Insurance Act of 2022.
Ohiri described health insurance as a critical safeguard against “health poverty,” noting that many Nigerians remain vulnerable to catastrophic healthcare costs without insurance coverage.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Emmanuella Zamba, said the Enforcement Team was constituted pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order issued on July 16, 2024.
She explained that Ilera-Eko offers a range of actuarially designed plans, including Standard, Standard Jaara, Standard Jaara Plus, Seniors and diaspora-focused packages, stressing that mandatory enrolment is essential for equity, sustainability and financial protection.
Zamba disclosed that members of the Enforcement Team had undergone specialised training at the Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute and would be expected to operate with professionalism, fairness and integrity.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Parastatal Monitoring Office, Ibrahim Obanikoro, urged residents to embrace the scheme, noting that health insurance provides critical financial relief during emergencies and prevents devastating out-of-pocket expenses.
The inauguration of the LSHS Enforcement Team underscores Lagos State’s renewed drive to secure universal health coverage and protect residents from the financial risks associated with ill health