The Lagos state government said it currently had less than 8,000 health workers for its teeming population, a far cry from the about 40,000 required to attend to its 1.5million health insurers, and has called for a healthcare reform.

Speaking at the opening of the Second Eko Health Convention 2026 in Lagos on Friday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the reforms would expand health insurance coverage, accelerate digital healthcare, strengthen health infrastructure, and develop the workforce as the state shifts from executing projects to building enduring healthcare institutions.

He described the convention’s theme, “Building a Healthier Lagos: Connecting Access with Excellence,” as the guiding philosophy of the state’s healthcare transformation.

“Projects belong to an administration; institutions become a legacy,” the governor said, adding that healthcare “is not a privilege for a few but a right for all.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that over 1.5 million residents enrolled in the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme following the domestication of the National Health Insurance Authority Act.

He said initiatives such as Ilera Eko EasyPay, the Equity Fund, and the LASHMA Assistance in Distress programme, alongside digital reforms through the Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP), will integrate electronic medical records and deploy artificial intelligence to improve healthcare delivery.

The Deputy Governor, Kadri Hamzat, said Lagos had become “far stronger” after seven years of reforms, citing investments in health infrastructure, governance and mandatory health insurance.

Praising healthcare workers, he remarked that, “Buildings do not treat people; healthcare workers do.”

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, and Special Adviser on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, said the state had shifted from healthcare commitments to implementation, while transformational projects such as the Massey Children’s Specialist Hospital, Mental Health Institute, and the proposed Lagos State University of Medicine and Health Sciences will position Lagos as a leading healthcare innovation hub in Nigeria and Africa.