Lagos drops new health plans for Nigerians abroad

The Lagos State Government has expanded its Ilera-Eko health insurance offerings with the introduction of two new diaspora-focused plans, Waka-Well and Home Konnect, launched by the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) during its 2025 Fourth Quarter Media Parley held on Tuesday in Alausa.

The new packages are designed to provide affordable and reliable health coverage for tourists, returning Nigerians, and families abroad seeking structured healthcare support for loved ones in Lagos.

Stakeholders at the event described the plans as a major step toward strengthening health financing and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, said the expansion was driven by increasing demand from the Nigerian diaspora and the need to align with global health coverage goals ahead of UHC Day. She noted that the new offerings reinforce the state’s mandatory health insurance framework while ensuring that “no resident or visitor is left behind.”

Dr. Zamba highlighted the successes of LASHMA’s quarterly media parleys, launched in March 2025, which she said have improved transparency and deepened public understanding of reforms under the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS). She also listed previous innovations such as the Ilera-N’tiwa Cooperative, Ilera-Eko Academy, telemedicine services, and the Ilera-Eko Spotlight Online Radio, Nigeria’s first dedicated health insurance radio platform.

To deliver the new diaspora packages sustainably, LASHMA partnered with private companies including Pinnacle Global Business Services, Nomad Doc Limited, and Mrs. Taiwo Salvador. According to Dr. Zamba, rebranding the diaspora offerings into two distinct products will better serve travellers, expatriates, and families abroad seeking dependable healthcare support.

She also reassured residents that recent policy adjustments on maternal and surgical services are already yielding positive results without limiting access to antenatal care, delivery services, surgeries, or other entitlements under the scheme.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, described Ilera-Eko as the most affordable health insurance package available in Lagos. He explained that a family of six can enjoy full coverage at a cost equivalent to “less than a sachet of paracetamol per day.” He praised the scheme for improving maternal health outcomes and urged journalists to amplify public awareness, noting that an Executive Order by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu now makes enrolment mandatory.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, Mr. Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, hailed the initiative as a groundbreaking innovation in Africa’s health insurance landscape. He said Nigerians across continents are celebrating the new diaspora plans, which address long-standing challenges in medical remittances and festive-season healthcare access.

He explained that Waka-Well specifically caters to diasporans and visitors coming home during peak seasons such as “Detty December,” offering immediate and reliable coverage. Home Konnect, on the other hand, allows Nigerians abroad to seamlessly pay premiums for family members in Lagos, eliminating the burden of ad-hoc medical remittances.

In a technical presentation, LASHMA’s Head of Business Development, Mr. Rotimi Olatunji, outlined that Waka-Well covers common travel-related illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, and diarrhoea, along with diagnostics, emergency care, dental and eye services, telemedicine, and ambulance evacuation. The plan costs ₦45,000 for a 90-day stay and ₦75,000 for multiple trips or extended visits.

He noted that Lagos welcomed over 550,000 arrivals through its airport by mid-November 2024, with visitors spending more than ₦350 billion, adding that Waka-Well will help transform “dirty December” into a “healthy December.”

The Home Konnect plan covers general and specialist care, physiotherapy, chronic disease management, surgeries, maternal and newborn services, annual screening, and more. Mr. Olatunji emphasized that the potential market includes over 20 million Nigerians living abroad.

Partner organisations also expressed confidence in the new plans. CEO of Pinnacle Global Business Services, Mr. Akande Ojo, cited growing trust in Lagos’ health reforms, while Dr. Elizabeth Onifade, Board Chairman of Nomad Doc Ltd., said the initiative would significantly improve health outcomes and reduce pressure on families.

Journalists used the event to seek clarifications on premiums, provider networks, and implementation strategies. LASHMA assured that media professionals will receive full documentation to support wider public sensitization.

Concluding the 2025 media parley series, Dr. Zamba expressed optimism for 2026, stating that the Agency will roll out new strategies to expand enrolment and strengthen health insurance adoption among youths and other populations.

She thanked journalists and partners for their collaboration and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare under Governor Sanwo-Olu’s leadership.