Prof Akin Abayomi Reels Out The Scorecard of the Lagos State Ministry of Health at 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing.
.... Lagos needs 40, 000 Doctors - Prof Abayomi
..... We intend to make Lagos a top medical tourism destination in Africa - Prof. Abayomi
Today Tuesday 12th May 2026, was the turn of the Lagos State ministry of health to showcase it's scorecard of the last 12 months in the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The ministerial press briefing of the Lagos State government ministries is taking place at the Bagauda Kaltho press centre in the Lagos State government Secretariat, Alausa Ikeja with the Ministry of Health as the centre of attraction for the day.
The ministerial press briefing had in attendance, the Commissioner of health Prof Akin Abayomi, the Special Adviser Dr. Mrs Kemi Ogunyemi, the Permanent Secretary Dr Dayo Lajide, Directors, Heads of agencies, parastatals and departments in the Ministry, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Strategy Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye who stood in for the Commissioner for information and Strategy Mr Gbenga Omotoso, directors of his ministry, body of Permanent Secretaries in the Lagos State civil service, senior civil servants, development partners in the health sector and members of the press.
The Permanent Secretary Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye welcomed all to the press briefing and wished a happy listening and dissemination of the presentation by the Ministry of Health
In his presentation, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof Akin Abayomi made it clear that Lagos State has a population of 30 million people according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and so this huge population has bestowed a huge health responsibility on the government of Lagos State.
Thus, he made it known that the Lagos State ministry of health as a result of the huge population, must anticipate health challenges and put in place robust policies and programmes to manage the expectations and emergency of Lagos as a model mega city in sub Saharan Africa. He spoke about weather conditions and the development of strategies by the ministry to manage extreme weather conditions occasioned by climate change.
Prof Akin Abayomi spoke about the challenges of managing the health system in a mega city like Lagos and went on to enumerate how the ministry of health has been coping by developing strategies of collaboration with local governments, the private sector and informal sector in the health management of Lagosians.
He stated that Lagos State is the only state in the whole of Nigeria and sub Saharan Africa that has a 30 years development plan which is still in operation till 2052. He spoke of the ambition of the state government to achieve Universal Health Care through mandatory health insurance for all Lagosians.
Prof Abayomi asserted that Lagos occupies the number 8 position in health service care provider in sub Saharan Africa and that the goal is to make Lagos a top medical tourism destination in Africa in the nearest future. He spoke about medical brain drain which is real and not a crime, but that the goal of the Lagos State government is to turn the situation around to brain gain, through the provision of world class working conditions to attract health workers of Nigeria origin, who have gone abroad, to return home.
The Commissioner of Health Prof Akin Abayomi also spoke on the proposed establishment of the Lagos State University of Medical Sciences to train personnel in the medical field to plug the shortages of personnel, of which he identified that unlike the WHO standard of 1 Doctor to 600 patients, that presently in Nigeria, the ratio is about 1 Doctor to 5000 patients. He highlighted the imperative need to recruit more hands into the medical profession due to burn out as a result of the excessive work load on medical personnel with 1 Doctor performing the job of 10 Doctors.
Prof Abayomi informed the ministerial press briefing that Lagos shortfall and need of doctors is about 40, 000, just like that of Nigeria is 300, 000 He stated the need to decentralize the training of doctors and other health workers through the primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions so as to meet the target of producing 5000 doctors on a yearly basis to meet the health needs of Lagosians.
He asserted that the Lagos State government is building staff quarters close to health institutions across the state to incentivise medical personnel by providing a better working environment.
The ministerial press briefing continues on a daily basis at the venue as other ministries will be taking their turns as scheduled.
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