Posted on: Thu 01-05-2025

In an era where Nigerian doctors are boarding flights faster than they can be replaced, Lagos isn’t sitting back—it’s pushing forward. Instead of mourning the exodus, the state is taking decisive steps to flip the narrative from brain drain to brain gain. And frankly, it’s about time.

With just 7,000 doctors serving over 20 million residents, Lagos falls woefully short of the WHO's one-doctor-per-600-patients standard. But rather than remain trapped in crisis mode, the state is deploying real solutions—and thinking long-term.

At the heart of this strategy is the soon-to-be-launched University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UNH). This dedicated medical university will scale up annual student intake from 200 to 2,500 by 2026—a game-changer for producing homegrown doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. For a country haemorrhaging talent, this is not just visionary—it’s necessary.

But boosting numbers alone won’t fix the system. Lagos understands this. That’s why it’s pairing medical education reforms with sweeping healthcare financing plans, starting with mandatory health insurance. Today, only 5% of Lagosians are covered—a scandal in itself. But plans are underway to move closer to universal coverage, and unofficial reports suggest actual spending on healthcare is nearing 15% of the budget, far more than the declared 8%. It’s refreshing to see a state putting its money where its health is.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, isn’t mincing words either. In his recent briefing, he spoke with urgency and ambition: Lagos is aiming to slash maternal mortality from 430 to just 37 per 100,000 live births over the next 30 years. That's not just a target—it's a bold moral stance: no woman should die giving life.

Still, there are structural challenges that can’t be ignored. Regulatory oversight remains a weak link, particularly in a healthcare market dominated by private providers. Without strong enforcement, even the best reforms can unravel.

Yet Lagos is not waiting for perfection. From greenfield projects like the futuristic, climate-resilient 10-storey Massey Children’s Specialist Hospital, to revamping old general hospitals and traditional care centres, the state is reimagining its healthcare architecture—literally and figuratively.

And it’s doing it smartly. As Abayomi pointed out, green hospitals are more cost-effective—costing just N61 million annually to maintain versus N158 million for traditional ones. In a country grappling with debt and fiscal leaks, that’s the kind of financial efficiency we need more of.

This isn’t just bureaucratic posturing. The presence of senior officials—Commissioner Gbenga Omotoso, Special Adviser Kemi Ogunyemi, and Permanent Secretary Olumide Shogunle—at the briefing signalled that this isn’t a one-man campaign. It’s a government-wide commitment to building a resilient, efficient, and equitable health system.

Let’s be honest: the brain drain isn’t going to stop overnight. Talented professionals will always seek better conditions. But Lagos is making a compelling case for staying—or coming back. By creating opportunity, improving infrastructure, and betting on its own people, the state is showing the rest of the country that brain gain isn’t just a slogan. It’s a strategy.

And it might just be working.

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