Lagos State has introduced two new health insurance plans to provide diasporans and festive-season visitors with affordable, reliable medical coverage, strengthening access and reducing health risks during the high-traffic “Detty December” period.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr Emmanuella Zamba, made this known on Tuesday at the agency’s 2025 Fourth Quarter Media Parley in Lagos.
Zamba said the initiative marked a major expansion of the Ilera-Eko diaspora offerings, deepening access, strengthening health financing and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
She explained that the new plans — Ilera-Eko Waka-Well and Ilera-Eko Home Konnect — were developed in response to rising demand from diasporans and the growing need to protect residents and visitors under the state’s mandatory health insurance framework.
Zamba emphasized that the introduction of the plans aligns with the spirit of UHC Day and reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind.
She said LASHMA partnered with private-sector players — Pinnacle Global Business Services, Nomad Doc Ltd., and Mrs Taiwo Salvador — to market the products locally and internationally.
According to her, the rebranding of the diaspora package into two distinct plans will better serve travelers, diasporans and families living abroad who want sustainable health coverage for their loved ones in Lagos.
She also assured residents that recent policy adjustments regulating maternal and surgical services have begun to yield positive results.
Zamba noted that the changes do not affect the benefit package promised under the social health insurance plan, stressing that families can still access antenatal care, normal and caesarean delivery, and surgical services once conditions are met.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, described Ilera-Eko as the most affordable health package available to Lagos residents.
He illustrated the cost-effectiveness of the plan, saying a family of six could enjoy full health coverage for about N180 to N220 per day.
Bajulaiye said the health scheme had already transformed maternal outcomes in several communities, citing examples of women who benefited from delivery services under the programme without financial strain.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, Mr Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, commended LASHMA, describing the initiative as a groundbreaking innovation in Africa’s health insurance ecosystem.
He explained that the Waka-Well plan targets diasporans and visitors returning to Lagos during festive seasons, especially “Detty December,” ensuring they have affordable and immediate health coverage.
He described Lagos as a safe, welcoming and economically vibrant destination that deserves an insurance model tailored to returning migrants and tourists.
According to him, the Home Konnect plan is a lifeline for millions of Nigerians abroad who regularly send money home for healthcare but struggle with sustainability.
He said the new plan provides structured, reliable coverage for loved ones in Lagos and eliminates the burden of unsustainable medical remittances.
LASHMA’s Head of Business Development, Mr Rotimi Olatunji, said the Waka-Well plan offers coverage for basic illnesses common among travellers, such as malaria, typhoid and diarrhoea.
He said the plan also covers diagnostics, emergency care, telemedicine, dental and eye services, and local ambulance evacuation.
The plan costs N45,000 for a 90-day stay and N75,000 for multiple trips or extended stays.
Olatunji added that over 550,000 Nigerians arrived through the Lagos airport by mid-November 2024, spending more than N350 billion during the season.
