Lagos needs 40,000 more doctors, N100bn to fix health sector

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed that the state requires about 40,000 additional doctors and 40,000 more nurses to adequately meet the healthcare needs of its rapidly growing population, while estimating a funding gap of at least N100 billion in the sector.

The governor also announced that more than 1.5 million residents have enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, Ilera Eko, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen access to affordable and sustainable healthcare.

Sanwo-Olu made the disclosures on Thursday during the opening of the second Eko Health Convention held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He identified inadequate healthcare personnel and insufficient funding as the two major challenges facing the state’s health sector, noting that international donor support for disease control programmes has continued to decline.

“Lagos needs about 40,000 doctors to properly serve its population, but we currently have about 7,000. We also require approximately 40,000 more nurses. That means every doctor presently practising in Lagos is effectively doing the work of about 10 doctors,” the governor said.

Speaking on funding, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state’s healthcare system requires far more resources than current budgetary allocations can provide.

“The second challenge is funding. There is a minimum shortfall of N100 billion between what our health budget currently provides and what the system actually requires.

“Donor funding, which sustained many disease control programmes for nearly two decades, is shrinking significantly and is unlikely to return in the same form,” he added.

Despite the challenges, the governor said the state had begun implementing measures to address the manpower shortage through large-scale recruitment, improved welfare packages and plans to establish a University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

According to him, the government recently commenced recruitment across all 29 secondary healthcare facilities in the state while also providing accommodation and better working conditions to retain existing personnel and encourage professionals abroad to return.

On health insurance, Sanwo-Olu said the implementation of the state’s mandatory social health insurance policy, following the domestication of the National Health Insurance Authority Act, has significantly expanded access to healthcare.

He disclosed that 1,502,994 Lagos residents had enrolled in the Ilera Eko scheme as of the end of May, with women accounting for more than half of the beneficiaries.

The governor noted that increased utilisation of healthcare services under the scheme demonstrates that enrollees are actively accessing medical care rather than merely registering.

Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the impact of the Lagos State Health Management Agency’s Assistance in Distress, AID, programme, revealing that it has saved 18 lives since becoming operational in March.

According to him, the intervention has supported victims of road traffic crashes, surgical emergencies, obstetric complications and stroke cases by ensuring immediate access to treatment regardless of their financial status.

The governor further stated that the state was leveraging technology to transform healthcare delivery through the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform, which is currently being deployed across public health institutions.

He explained that the digital platform would allow seamless access to patients’ medical records across facilities, strengthen disease surveillance and enhance evidence-based health planning.

Sanwo-Olu added that the government is also investing in artificial intelligence and other digital innovations to improve diagnosis, medical imaging and overall healthcare service delivery.

Reaffirming his administration’s long-term vision, the governor stressed that ongoing reforms, including Ilera Eko, the health district system and the digital health platform, were designed to outlive his tenure.