…Study to Document Successful Reforms, Strengthen Replication of Best Practices Nationwide.
Lagos State has been identified as one of Nigeria’s leading health system performers following a rigorous national assessment, as stakeholders gathered for the Nigeria Health System Exemplar Analysis for Action State-Level Stakeholders’ Inception Meeting in Ikeja to commence a landmark study aimed at documenting the drivers of the State’s health sector successes.
The meeting, organised under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Development Governance International Consult with support from the Gates Foundation and other partners, brought together government officials, development partners, researchers, private sector leaders and healthcare stakeholders to examine reforms, innovations and interventions that contributed to improved health outcomes in Lagos between 2013 and 2023.
Delivering the keynote address, the Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi, described the initiative as a valuable opportunity for objective assessment, reflection and learning, noting that periodic reviews were necessary to determine whether health systems were moving in the right direction and achieving intended outcomes.
Abayomi said Lagos was honoured to be selected for the study, stressing that the State’s health sector achievements could only be fully understood by examining the entire healthcare ecosystem, particularly the private sector which accounts for the majority of healthcare services accessed by residents.
The Commissioner emphasized that government’s role extends beyond managing public hospitals to providing policy direction, legislation, regulation, public enlightenment and an enabling environment for private sector participation, adding that effective collaboration between both sectors remains critical to improving healthcare delivery.
He further highlighted Lagos State’s investments in health infrastructure, workforce development, disease surveillance, biosecurity, digital health, public-private partnerships, health insurance, maternal and child healthcare, mental health and preventive medicine, reiterating the State’s vision of becoming a leading healthcare destination in Africa.
In her opening remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Doctor Kemi Ogunyemi, explained that the Nigeria Health System Exemplar Analysis Research Project is a multi-phase initiative designed to identify, understand and scale successful health system practices across the country.
Ogunyemi stated that the inception meeting was convened to formally introduce the project to stakeholders, present its methodology and objectives, secure stakeholder buy-in and establish a framework for collaboration throughout the study period.
She noted that the engagement would also provide opportunities to generate preliminary insights into the major drivers of health system performance in Lagos State and develop an action plan for effective data collection and stakeholder participation.
Welcoming participants, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Doctor Dayo Lajide, observed that the Nigerian health sector has witnessed several transformative reforms over the last decade, including the implementation of the Primary Health Care Under One Roof policy and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.
Lajide said Lagos State had successfully domesticated many federal health policies and reforms, adding that the Exemplar Study would objectively assess the State’s health system performance through extensive document reviews and stakeholder interviews covering the period from 2013 to 2023.
Managing Partner of Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, Doctor Gafar Alawode, said Lagos earned its place among the selected exemplar states because of clear evidence showing remarkable progress in health outcomes, service coverage and mortality reduction over time.
According to him, the project seeks not only to identify high-performing states but also to understand the policies, strategies, leadership approaches and implementation mechanisms responsible for their success, with the ultimate goal of enabling other states to replicate proven interventions.
Presenting an overview of the study, Lagos State Lead for the Exemplar Research Project, Doctor Simisola Alabi, explained that the initiative was designed to investigate why some Nigerian states perform better than others in health outcomes and how successful approaches could be adapted nationwide.
Alabi said Lagos emerged as an exemplar state after a comprehensive analysis of national health indicators, including child mortality, severe stunting and service coverage metrics, which showed that the State consistently outperformed expectations while recording sustained improvements in key health indicators.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Director of Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Doctor Anthony Adoghe, congratulated Lagos State on its achievements, describing the State as one whose health indicators compare favourably with those of many developed countries.
Adoghe stated that the Federal Government was increasingly committed to ensuring that data generated through surveys and health information systems are used more effectively for planning, policy formulation and evidence-based decision-making across the country.Also delivering a goodwill message, President of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and Country Director of PharmAccess Foundation, Njide Ndili, commended Lagos State’s steady progress towards Universal Health Coverage and acknowledged the State’s pioneering role in health financing and health system reforms.
Ndili assured stakeholders of the private sector’s support for the study, noting that valuable insights and data from private healthcare providers would contribute significantly to documenting Lagos State’s healthcare transformation journey.
Earlier, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, explained that the study aims to identify practical lessons capable of strengthening health systems, improving policy implementation and sustaining service delivery improvements across Nigeria.
She called on stakeholders to actively support the exercise by providing relevant information, participating in interviews and sharing experiences that would help ensure accurate documentation of Lagos State’s health sector achievements.
A presentation by the Head of the Research Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Faith Oniyire, showcased a decade of health sector transformation in Lagos, highlighting significant gains in maternal and child health, emergency medical services, disease surveillance, health insurance coverage, digital health innovation and outbreak preparedness.
The presentation revealed that Lagos reduced maternal mortality, under-five mortality and malaria prevalence significantly between 2013 and 2023, while enrolling more than 923,000 residents into the Ilera Eko Health Insurance Scheme and attaining the highest digital health readiness ranking in Nigeria.
Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that the Exemplar Study presents a unique opportunity to document Lagos State’s health sector journey, strengthen institutional memory, promote evidence-based policymaking and provide a model that can support health system improvements across Nigeria.
