By Chioma Obinna

To fast-track access to healthcare for all residents, the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), on Wednesday engaged over 800 healthcare providers at the 2025 edition of its ILERA EKO Annual Provider Forum.

The high-level stakeholder meeting, held in Lagos themed: “Driving Universal Health Coverage through Strategic Partnerships.”
The forum served as a platform to review progress, deepen collaboration, and unveil far-reaching reforms aimed at strengthening Lagos’ health insurance scheme.

In his keynote address, Chairman of the LASHMA Board, Dr. Adebayo Adedewe, hailed the resilience and dedication of healthcare providers, describing them as the bedrock of the ILERA EKO scheme.

He announced that the agency had implemented strategic reforms including performance-based provider categorisation provision of essential drugs, and a revised tariff structure to cushion economic pressures on healthcare delivery.

“We have also expanded access by integrating community pharmacies into the scheme, thereby broadening reach and ensuring continuity of care,” Adedewe said.

He emphasized Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s political will, noting that Lagos remains the only state** in the country that prioritizes its *equity fund for indigent residents as a first-line charge. “From N1 billion in 2024, Mr. Governor increased the equity fund to N3 billion this year—demonstrating strong leadership and a deep commitment to equity,” he stated. In her remarks, Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba disclosed that enforcement of the mandatory health insurance policyin Lagos would commence in early 2026 following the Executive Order signed by the Governor in July 2024.

“We are focused on ensuring that all residents are adequately sensitized and onboarded before enforcement begins,” she said, describing the scheme as a vital financial protection mechanism for households.
Zamba revealed that the agency has grown its network to over 865 empaneled providers, while also transitioning claims vetting and service authorizations from third-party administrators to an in-house team, a shift that has led to *faster turnaround times and better oversight. She further announced the rollout of biometric verification systems, in partnership with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA), which now enables real-time identity confirmation at the point of care and significantly reduces fraud.

“This technological upgrade enhances accountability and ensures targeted service delivery for enrollees,” Zamba noted. “More importantly, this forum is not just to showcase reforms. It is your platform—providers—to share insights, highlight gaps, and shape solutions with us.” Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, stressed the importance of mutual understanding between LASHMA and providers. He said that continuous dialogue would drive operational improvements and help overcome implementation challenges.

“Health insurance is a win-win—it guarantees sustainability for providers while protecting citizens from catastrophic health expenditures. We must all be committed to making it work.” Chairman of the Healthcare Providers’ Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Biola Paul-Ozieh, applauded LASHMA’s pace-setting role nationwide but urged the agency to continue reviewing tariffs and incentivizing innovation to boost provider morale and improve enrolment. “We must also hold ourselves to high standards of professionalism,” she warned.

“Discriminatory practices must stop. Enrollees must be treated with dignity because health outcomes depend on the quality of care we deliver.” President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and Country Director of PharmAccess, Mrs. Njide Ndili, described healthcare providers as the “anchors of Universal Health Coverage” and commended LASHMA for adopting the SafeCare quality framework that ties financial incentives to performance. “Lagos is the first globally to reward providers based on SafeCare quality levels. This is a huge milestone,” Ndili said, adding that trust is essential to driving enrolment.

“When citizens believe in the quality of care, they are more willing to prepay—and that drives sustainability.” The event climaxed with the unveiling of the ILERA EKO Provider Signage* and presentation of awards of excellence to providers who demonstrated outstanding service, clinical excellence, audit compliance, enrolment growth, and overall facility improvement.

Stakeholders reaffirmed their collective commitment to building an inclusive, efficient and sustainable healthcare system. With enforcement on the horizon and structural reforms already in place, ILERA EKO continues to set the benchmark for social health insurance in Nigeria.