Sixty-three Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Lagos State Government have been presented with Certificates of Compliance for meeting the requirements of the state’s mandatory social health insurance policy.
The certificates were presented by the Lagos State Head of Service, Bode Agoro, at an event organised by the Lagos State Health Management Agency.
The recognition followed efforts by the state government to implement an Executive Order signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on July 16, 2024, which requires residents to enrol in the Lagos State Social Health Insurance Scheme.
The policy is designed to expand access to health insurance, support the drive towards Universal Health Coverage and reduce the financial burden associated with healthcare services.
The Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, said the state had chosen to begin enforcement within its own public institutions as part of efforts to ensure that government agencies complied with the directive.
She outlined four major conditions for institutional compliance.
These include requiring residents seeking government services to provide evidence of ILERA EKO enrolment, ensuring that all MDA employees—including non-Oracle and non-pensionable workers—are enrolled in the scheme, displaying LASHMA’s official website address on MDA websites and providing designated spaces where LASHMA personnel can verify enrolment and assist residents.
Zamba explained that LASHMA began its structured engagement with the MDAs in October 2024, when it established an MDA Engagement Team to increase awareness and encourage institutions to meet the requirements.
The engagement process was subsequently expanded through consultations with the Body of Permanent Secretaries in September 2025 and meetings with Heads of Agencies in December of the same year.
According to her, the state further strengthened its compliance framework with the inauguration of the Lagos State Health Scheme Enforcement Team by the Head of Service on January 21, 2026.
The team was tasked with coordinating monitoring and enforcement activities across the state public service.
Zamba said an initial assessment of government institutions was conducted to establish their level of compliance, followed by additional visits to determine progress.
She disclosed that 62 MDAs were initially assessed as fully compliant, while a further 21 institutions attained the required standards during a subsequent assessment.
However, Agoro said 63 MDAs were being formally recognised at the latest event, describing the development as a significant milestone in Lagos State’s implementation of mandatory social health insurance.
He said the certificates should not be regarded merely as ceremonial awards, but as evidence that the recognised institutions had met specified requirements and were demonstrating leadership through compliance.
Agoro also announced that monitoring would continue periodically to ensure that MDAs maintain the standards for which they were recognised.
He explained that enforcement of the Executive Order would take place in stages, starting with government ministries, departments and agencies before being expanded to other sectors and categories of residents.
The Head of Service directed MDAs that had not yet completed the compliance process to do so by November 30, 2026.
He urged Accounting Officers and Heads of Agencies to treat the directive as an institutional responsibility and give the compliance process the necessary priority.
As part of efforts to support implementation, LASHMA has trained Verification Officers and appointed ILERA EKO Focal Persons within MDAs.
Their responsibilities include checking the enrolment status of residents and providing assistance to those who have yet to register for the state health insurance scheme.
Agoro commended LASHMA, members of the enforcement team and the MDAs that had achieved compliance, noting that stronger institutional participation would help expand health insurance coverage in Lagos.
The state government’s phased approach is expected to move beyond public institutions as implementation progresses to other sectors and groups of residents.
The compliance initiative therefore represents another stage in Lagos State’s efforts to increase participation in social health insurance and advance its broader Universal Health Coverage objectives.
