Lagos reveals alarming healthcare gap amid rising population

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The Lagos State Government has revealed that the state requires about 40,000 medical doctors to adequately meet the healthcare demands of its rapidly growing population but currently has only about 7,000 doctors within its health system.

The government said the shortfall has created a manpower deficit of more than 33,000 physicians across the state’s healthcare sector.

The Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Tuesday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa to mark the seventh anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

According to Abayomi, Lagos also faces a shortage of about 40,000 nurses and other healthcare personnel needed to strengthen service delivery across public health institutions.

He explained that the shortage forms part of a wider global healthcare workforce crisis affecting many countries.

“Nigeria has 40,000 doctors currently at a ratio of one doctor to 5,000 population. Nigeria needs 300,000 new doctors while Lagos requires 40,000 additional doctors. Currently, Lagos has 7,000. The gap for Lagos is 30,000 doctors and 40,000 nurses,” he said.

The commissioner noted that despite the challenge, Lagos was gradually becoming more attractive to medical professionals.

“For every doctor we have in Lagos, they are doing the job of ten,” he added.

Abayomi said the state government was implementing several measures aimed at reducing brain drain within the health sector while encouraging Nigerian medical professionals abroad to return home.

According to him, the government is pursuing healthcare financing reforms, improving staff welfare, and upgrading living and working conditions for health workers.

“To reduce the brain drain and facilitate brain gain, the Lagos State government is prioritising healthcare finance reform, improve the working conditions of health workers, improve the living conditions of health workers and facilitate the return of Nigerian doctors in diaspora,” he stated.

He disclosed that accommodation projects for medical personnel were ongoing in several state-owned hospitals.

Abayomi said the government recently completed a 72-unit accommodation facility for house officers at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, while similar projects at Odan, Gbagada, and Ojo hospitals were nearing completion.

He added that future medical facilities planned by the government would include staff quarters located close to hospitals to improve convenience and welfare for healthcare workers.

The commissioner further revealed that LASUTH currently has about 120 medical specialists, while general hospitals across the state collectively have around 250 specialists.

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