Business/Finance

Lagos Public Hospitals Record Surge as Patients Double in Six Months — Commissioner

Published

2 months ago

September 12, 2026

Lagos State’s public hospitals are witnessing a sharp rise in patient attendance, with outpatient patronage doubling over the past six months amid growing pressure on healthcare workers and an ongoing shortage of medical professionals.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof.

Akin Abayomi, disclosed this during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, September 11, 2026, attributing the surge partly to the rising cost of healthcare and the migration of medical professionals from the country.

Abayomi said major public health facilities, including the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, and hospitals in Ikorodu and Lagos Island, were recording significantly higher patient numbers.

“In the last six months, our outpatient patronage has doubled in our public health facilities, LASUTH, Ikorodu, Lagos Island.

“I’ve seen thousands of patients a day. Now, you can’t imagine that kind of patronage in a private hospital.”

According to the commissioner, the increasing cost of medical treatment is making it increasingly difficult for many residents to afford services at private hospitals.

He said while healthcare costs continued to rise, residents’ purchasing power had not increased at the same pace, forcing many to seek cheaper alternatives.

“While the cost of care is going up, the ability to buy that care is relatively stagnant,” he said.

Abayomi explained that the development was creating a shift in healthcare patronage, with some residents moving from private hospitals to government-owned facilities because of their relatively lower costs.

He, however, warned that some people were moving further from formal healthcare facilities to informal providers, including pharmacies and drug hawkers.

“So the public are shifting from the private sector to the public sector and from the public sector to the informal sector, where they can walk into a pharmacist or stop the hawker on the road and tell them, ‘I have a headache or I have a fever,’ and they get access to medication without going through the orthodox system,” he said.

Brain Drain Puts Workers Under Pressure
The commissioner said the increase in patient numbers was compounding the pressure on doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals already affected by brain drain.

He said the migration of medical personnel had reduced the workforce available to attend to the growing number of patients in public hospitals.

“Our doctors and our healthcare professionals are under a lot of stress. You can imagine with the brain drain, with this influx of patients,” Abayomi said.

He compared the workload in medical facilities to working extremely long shifts, stressing that sustained pressure could be damaging to healthcare workers.

Against the backdrop of increasing demand, the Lagos Government is preparing to intensify enforcement of compulsory health insurance in the state.

Abayomi said the government was restructuring the state’s health insurance system and would soon move from awareness and advocacy to stronger enforcement.

“Now we’re moving into enforcement. So very soon, it’s just like if you have a car.

You need three things. You need a licence, you need an MOT, and you need insurance. If you don’t have it, somewhere along the line, someone will enforce it,” he said.

The commissioner said Lagos had domesticated the National Health Insurance Authority Act through an executive order issued in July 2024, making health insurance compulsory for people living and working in the state.

He said the state was now restructuring the scheme, increasing public awareness and educating residents on the importance of health insurance.

“We’re restructuring. We’re doing a lot of enforcement. We’re doing a lot of public health awareness. We’re doing a lot of educating the public around the need for insurance,” he added.

According to Abayomi, the government wants every resident to have access to a basic social health insurance package, while people with private insurance would also be integrated into the broader system.

“So everybody should have at least a social health insurance basic minimum service package cover. And then in the private sector, we’re incorporating them into that narrative so that if you have private insurance, you at least have the basic minimum package,” he said.

He added that the state had restructured the various tiers of the insurance system to ensure cleaner and more effective operations.

Abayomi said the challenges facing the healthcare sector could not be separated from healthcare financing.

He argued that stronger demand-side financing would increase the funds available for healthcare providers, improve service delivery and create better conditions for retaining medical professionals.

“It all boils down to healthcare financing. It boils down to demand financing, the ability to finance the purchase of your care,” he said.

He explained that insurance could distribute the cost of healthcare across a larger population through risk-sharing and social solidarity, thereby reducing the financial burden on government.

“Health insurance does many things. It reduces the risk. It causes a cross-subsidy and social solidarity. It takes a lot of the burden away from government so that the private sector can flourish in a health system,” Abayomi said.

He also linked improved healthcare purchasing power to efforts to tackle the migration of health professionals.

“Now when that happens, it will start to slow down brain drain because brain drain is an economic narrative,” he said.

“If we fix the demand-side financing, then funds will flow. If the public, if the business people in Lagos suddenly see that Lagosians have purchasing power for healthcare, they will fix the supply-side.”

The commissioner also defended government investment in public healthcare, saying residents benefit from substantial subsidies in state-owned hospitals.

“The public health service is extremely subsidised. We build the hospitals.

We pay 20,000 staff. We’re the biggest ministry in Lagos State Government. We repair facilities.

We buy equipment. We’re constantly paying for training. We’re paying for administration, overheads, power,” he said.

He said the subsidy enables public hospitals to charge substantially less than private facilities.

According to him, charges in government hospitals are generally less than half of what patients would pay for comparable services in private hospitals.

“So they generally charge a range of something less than 50 per cent of what the private sector charges. Health is doing actually quite well,” he said.

Abayomi also disclosed that the health sector had achieved more than 90 per cent budget implementation.

“On budget implementation, we’re above 90 percent,” he said.

The commissioner further addressed complaints concerning payment procedures at public hospitals, including allegations that some patients were required to provide cash before receiving treatment.

He said the government had outsourced payment gateways to private companies in an effort to separate financial transactions from clinical activities.

“We’ve now outsourced the payment gateways to the private sector so that it doesn’t mess up with clinical activities,” he said.

According to him, payment collectors now operate across the state’s health facilities and are responsible for collecting approved charges from patients.

“We engage payment collectors, and they are in all our facilities, and they collect the due charges that the patients have experienced within the facilities,” he added.

He said multiple companies were currently operating the payment gateways across the state.

The commissioner’s comments come as Lagos continues to face the dual challenge of rising demand for affordable healthcare and shortages of skilled medical personnel, with the state government betting on expanded health insurance coverage and improved healthcare financing to ease pressure on its public hospitals.

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Business/Finance

Reps Invite CBN Governor Cardoso Over Unpaid Pension Arrears

Published

10 hours ago

November 3, 2026

Lucy Ubi

The House of Representatives has resolved to invite the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, to explain alleged breaches of pension agreements and the non-payment of outstanding benefits to retired employees of the apex bank.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on Tuesday titled, “Need to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria for alleged breach of approved pension agreements, non-implementation of harmonisation policy and exclusion of pensioners from general pension increases.”

The motion was moved by the member representing Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hussaini Jallo, who raised concerns over the alleged failure of the CBN to honour agreements governing the pension entitlements and welfare of its retired employees.

Presenting the motion, Jallo said the alleged non-implementation and faulty execution of the pension harmonisation policy might have created disparities in pension payments and led to the accumulation of unpaid arrears, leaving affected retirees in financial hardship.

He expressed concern that pensioners who depend on their retirement benefits for their livelihood were being denied entitlements allegedly due to them.

“The House is concerned that the alleged non-implementation and faulty execution of the harmonisation policy may have led to disparities in pension benefits and the accumulation of unpaid arrears, ultimately denying rightful entitlements and imposing severe financial hardship on affected pensioners who depend on these funds for their livelihood,” he said.

The lawmaker also questioned allegations that some retired CBN employees had been excluded from general pension increases because of additional or extra-statutory demands that might not align with existing laws, binding agreements or approved pension policies.

Jallo further disclosed that the number of CBN pensioners had dropped from 5,104 in 2011 to approximately 3,000, representing a decline of more than 2,100 retirees.

He said the figures indicated an average reduction of about 140 pensioners annually, warning that the mortality rate could increase as the surviving retirees continued to advance in age.

According to him, prolonged delays in the payment of pension benefits could expose elderly and vulnerable pensioners to poverty, ill health and avoidable loss of life.

He maintained that Nigerians who had served the country deserved fairness, transparency and the prompt payment of all benefits lawfully due to them.

“The House acknowledges the need for legislative oversight to establish the facts, determine the extent of any breaches or administrative failures, and ensure that all eligible pensioners receive their lawful entitlements,” Jallo said.

The motion received overwhelming support from lawmakers during a voice vote conducted at plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.

Following its adoption, the House urged the CBN and other relevant authorities to verify and pay all outstanding pension arrears lawfully due to affected retirees within a reasonable and clearly defined period.

It also called for the extension of applicable general pension increases to eligible pensioners in accordance with relevant laws.

The lawmakers subsequently invited Cardoso and other relevant officials, alongside pension administrators, regulators and representatives of the affected pensioners, to appear before the House and provide explanations.

They are also expected to submit relevant documents to assist the investigation.

The House mandated its Committee on Pension to investigate allegations of non-compliance by the CBN with contractual agreements governing the administration and payment of retirement benefits to its former employees.

The committee is expected to examine the terms and obligations contained in the agreements, particularly the circumstances surrounding the non-implementation of the harmonisation policy, the reasons for the delay and the total amount of outstanding arrears.

It will also investigate the alleged exclusion of eligible pensioners from general pension increases on the basis of extra-statutory demands and determine whether such actions comply with applicable laws, contractual obligations and approved pension policies.

As part of its assignment, the committee will review relevant documents, including contractual agreements, policy circulars, payment records and actuarial reports, to establish responsibility for any administrative failures or breaches.

It is also expected to recommend appropriate corrective measures, including the non-discriminatory extension of applicable general pension increases to all eligible retirees in line with relevant laws and approved policies.

Business/Finance

EFCC Recovers N114m From Cyber Fraud Suspect, Returns Money to Microfinance Bank

Published

5 days ago

October 30, 2026

Lucy Ubi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered and returned N114 million stolen from a microfinance bank through a cyber fraud scheme.

The commission disclosed this in a post on its official X handle on Friday, stating that the recovered funds were handed over to the financial institution on Thursday.

According to the EFCC, the Acting Zonal Director of its Benin Zonal Directorate, Deputy Commander Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, presented a bank draft worth N114 million to a senior official of the bank, Samuel Ikechukwu.

The recovery followed a petition filed by Ikechukwu in August 2024, after the financial institution discovered that one of its customers’ accounts had been fraudulently hacked and funds withdrawn without authorisation.

The commission said its investigators traced the stolen money to several suspects, leading to the arrest of one of them, identified as Obumneme Bright.

It added that N114 million was recovered from Bright following his arrest and subsequently returned to the affected financial institution.

The EFCC, however, disclosed that efforts were ongoing to track down and apprehend other suspects allegedly connected to the cyber fraud.

The recovery highlights the commission’s ongoing efforts to investigate financial crimes, recover illicit funds and return stolen assets to their rightful owners.

Business/Finance

Tinubu Seeks Senate Approval for $20.52bn, €1.05bn External Loans

Published

1 week ago

October 27, 2026

Lucy Ubi

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the Federal Government’s 2026–2027 Supplementary External Borrowing Plan, seeking loans of $20.52bn and €1.05bn to finance infrastructure and development projects across Nigeria.

The request was transmitted to the National Assembly and read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary.

In the letter, Tinubu urged lawmakers to consider and approve the borrowing plan promptly, saying the proposed funds would support critical projects and programmes across infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, water supply, security, employment generation and financial management reforms.

The proposed borrowing amounts to $20,517,755,901 and €1,045,083,643, respectively.

The President said the external financing was necessary to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and bridge the funding gap affecting the implementation of development projects.

“I submit the attached Federal Government 2026–2027 Supplementary External Borrowing Plan for consideration and early approval of the National Assembly to ensure prompt implementation of our projects,” he stated.

Tinubu explained that the projects and programmes were selected following technical and economic evaluations, with emphasis on their expected contributions to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development.

According to him, the initiatives are designed to generate employment, promote skills acquisition, encourage entrepreneurship, reduce poverty and strengthen food security.

“These initiatives aim to generate employment, promote skill acquisition, foster entrepreneurship, reduce poverty and enhance food security, all of which improve the livelihood of the Nigerian child,” the President said.

He added that most of the projects would be implemented across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, highlighting the nationwide scope of the proposed investments.

Tinubu Cites Infrastructure Funding Gap
The President maintained that the scale of Nigeria’s infrastructure needs required additional financing, arguing that external borrowing would help bridge the gap between available resources and the funding required to deliver critical projects.

“In light of the need for significant infrastructure investment in the country and the vast financial resources needed to address this gap, it has become essential to pursue prudent external borrowings to close the financing shortfall,” Tinubu stated.

He said the funds would primarily support critical infrastructure, particularly in the power, transportation and healthcare sectors.

Tinubu urged the Senate leadership and the wider National Assembly to approve the proposal without delay, arguing that timely approval would facilitate fund disbursement and accelerate project implementation.

However, the request is expected to undergo scrutiny by the relevant Senate committees, including an examination of its scope and relationship with the Federal Government’s existing borrowing arrangements.

Akpabio Says Borrowing Plan Was Previously Approved
Reacting after the presidential letter was read, Akpabio said the borrowing plan had featured in previous government borrowing and budgetary arrangements, although he expressed uncertainty about the exact period covered by the earlier approval.

“The borrowing plan is attached, but of course, this was even earlier approved in our budget, and also the external borrowing plan was approved as far back as 2025 to 2027, I think to 2028 or thereabout,” the Senate President said.

Akpabio announced that the request would be referred to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for consideration, with possible contributions from the Committees on Appropriations and Finance.

“However, this request will be looked at by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, probably in collaboration with Appropriations and Finance, but mainly by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts,” he stated.

The Senate President also referenced Senator Haruna Manu in connection with the committee’s leadership.

The committee’s review is expected to examine the details of the proposed financing and determine how the supplementary borrowing plan relates to previously approved arrangements before the Senate decides on the next legislative steps.

The proposal would add to the Federal Government’s external financing commitments if approved.

Its consideration is also likely to bring attention to the terms of the proposed loans, the projects to be financed, repayment obligations and the expected economic benefits of the investments.

The Senate has yet to make a final decision on the request, which is to undergo committee consideration.

The alternative expresses the approximate combined value in US-dollar terms only if an exchange rate is specified and applied. The original headline is safer and more precise.