Lagos Needs 40,000 More Doctors, ₦100bn to Fix Health Sector — Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that the state requires approximately 40,000 additional doctors and an equal number of nurses to adequately cater to its growing population, while estimating a funding deficit of at least ₦100 billion needed to improve healthcare services.

The governor made the disclosure on Thursday while declaring open the second Eko Health Convention at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu identified shortage of healthcare professionals and inadequate funding as the two most pressing challenges confronting the state’s health sector, adding that declining international donor support has further increased the burden on government.

According to him, Lagos currently has about 7,000 doctors, far below the number required to effectively serve residents.

“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,” he said.

On financing, the governor stated that the healthcare sector requires significantly more resources than the state’s existing budget can provide.

He explained that there is a minimum shortfall of ₦100 billion between available funding and the actual financial needs of the health system.

Sanwo-Olu also noted that donor support, which had sustained several disease control programmes over the years, continues to decline, making it necessary for the state to strengthen domestic healthcare financing.

To address the manpower shortage, he said the government had commenced recruitment across all 29 secondary healthcare facilities, while introducing improved welfare packages, staff accommodation and plans to establish a University of Medicine and Health Sciences to increase the production of healthcare professionals.

The governor also announced that 1,502,994 residents had enrolled in the Ilera Eko health insurance scheme as of the end of May, describing the programme as a key component of the state’s drive towards universal health coverage.

He added that the Assistance in Distress (AID) programme has already saved 18 lives since its launch in March by providing emergency treatment for victims of accidents, obstetric complications, stroke and other critical conditions.

Sanwo-Olu further disclosed that the government is deploying the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform across public health facilities to digitise patient records, improve disease surveillance and enhance evidence-based planning.

He reaffirmed that the administration’s healthcare reforms are designed to endure beyond his tenure, ensuring sustainable access to quality healthcare for Lagos residents.