Lagos Aims To Tackle Shortage Of Healthcare Workers With Major Training And Infrastructure Drive.
The Lagos State Government has revealed a significant gap in its healthcare workforce, disclosing that an additional 33,000 doctors and another 33,000 nurses are required to provide adequate medical services for the state’s growing population.
This was made known by the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, during a ministerial press briefing held on Wednesday to mark the second year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
According to Professor Abayomi, Lagos currently has about 7,000 doctors, far short of the estimated 40,000 required. “There is an urgent demand to exponentially increase quality healthcare professionals in Nigeria,” he stressed. “The need is not just for doctors, but for nurses and other healthcare workers across various disciplines.”
To address this critical shortfall, the state government is relying on the recently established University of Medicine and Health (UMH), which is expected to play a central role in building capacity within the sector.
“Within five years, UMH will produce about 2,500 healthcare workers annually in Lagos State,” Abayomi announced. “This will include other essential cadres such as laboratory scientists.”
In addition to workforce development, the Commissioner highlighted the ongoing rollout of the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme. Despite the state’s large population, only 1,252,959 residents—just over 4 per cent—have enrolled so far. Currently, 419 health facilities are participating in the scheme.
Abayomi expressed optimism that recent efforts to make health insurance mandatory under state law would significantly increase enrolment and, by extension, expand the funding available for healthcare services.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner provided updates on key infrastructure projects across the state’s health sector. He noted that the 150-bed New Massey Street Children’s Specialist Referral Hospital in Lagos Island is 70 per cent complete. Similarly, the 280-bed Ojo General Hospital and Staff Quarters in Iba, Ojo, is 75 per cent completed, while the Mental Health Institute in Epe is 65 per cent finished.
All three major facilities are scheduled to be commissioned for public use in April 2026.
The combined focus on workforce development, improved insurance coverage, and infrastructure investment reflects the state government’s comprehensive approach to strengthening its healthcare system and meeting the needs of its over 20 million residents.