Health
Lagos Govt, Council Bosses Commit To COMPACT For Improved Health Financing
By Vivian Ihechu
The Lagos State Government and the 57 local government and local council development areas on Wednesday signed the Lagos Primary Health Care Compact 2026–2036.
The COMPACT is a 10-year financing and governance framework aimed at revitalising primary health care across the state.
The COMPACT, endorsed at the Lagos State Primary Health Care Financing Retreat in Lakowe, formalised joint stewardship between the state and local governments for sustainable health system funding and delivery.
The retreat had the theme: Lagos State Primary Health Care Financing Retreat on Advancing Sustainable Health Ssstems in Lagos : A 10-Year PHC Financing Plan”.
It was signed on behalf of the state by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi and Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board.
The agreement acknowledged that primary health care had been chronically under-resourced since 1999 and required coordinated investment.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the new primary healthcare compact would unify the three tiers of government behind a single agenda to strengthen health service delivery.
He also said that primary healthcare must remain the bedrock of the system.
“The primary health care platform is the basis of healthcare delivery in any community.
“It’s like building a house. If the foundation is weak, the house will not stand the test of time.”
He explained that care should start at the primary level before referral to secondary and tertiary facilities “as the complexity of your condition demands”.
Abayomi stressed that all tiers of government must now pull resources together instead of working in silos.
“There’s no point one tier of government doing one thing, another tier of government doing another thing.
“If we can pull our resources, come together to define a common agenda and a common strategy, and then everybody puts their resources behind the common agenda, we’re going to move forward very, very quickly,” he said.
He described the new compact as “a recipe for absolute success”, noting:
“We are united, we are committed, we are determined.”
Abayomi said a unified committee involving the Ministry of Health, the Primary Health Care Board, relevant agencies and local governments would “convert these statements in the compact into real, measurable activities with KPIs” before the end of the year.
Remarking, Mustafa said the compact’s core aims were expanding supply-side investment in primary health infrastructure and equipment.
He said it also included medicines and human resources; strengthening health insurance coverage through the Lagos State social health insurance scheme and the Lagos Private Health Partnership.
He said it also seeks to improve governance, accountability and coordination with federal basic healthcare provision funds.
According to him, it also prioritises digital health integration by migrating activities onto the Smart Health Information Platform under the Lagos State Digital Health Policy 2025.
Others, he said, include enhancing digital tools to support both public and private providers.
He said that under the agreement, the parties committed to continuous engagement over the compact period.
Mustafa said the parties also committed to implementing a structured programme of financing and reform seen as foundational to the health, dignity and prosperity of every resident of Lagos State.
Mr Sesan Olowa, Chairman of Conference 57 Local Government Chairmen in Lagos State, signed on behalf of all local government and council chairmen.
Olowa, Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki Local Council Development Area (LCDA) said that council bosses were committed to significantly increasing health spending to strengthen primary healthcare across the state.
He said the retreat provided a platform for Council Chairmen to actually see the statewide direction in the primary health care system, noting that primary care was within the purview of local government administration.
According to him, many local governments have already made significant investments in health infrastructure and in human resources, but major gaps remain.
“At the end, it was agreed that there’s still a lot of gaps to cover,” he said.
Citing a comparison with another country that has 3000 PHCs and a similar population to Lagos State, Lagos has 300.
“So definitely, we need to do more in terms of the number of PHCs that we have, in terms of the quality of equipment and services.”
Olowa said the councils were developing a COMPACT– a formal commitment – on how much more they would spend to improve the health system over the next decade.
“The minimum that this retreat is recommending is 15 per cent of the annual budget to be invested in health,” he explained.
He added that new funds would go into infrastructure, outreach programmes, advocacy, human resources, technology and management information systems.
He said health insurance would also be expanded to reduce maternal mortality by ensuring more pregnant women use primary health centres instead of traditional birth attendants. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Oluwafunke Isho