• Experts advocate 15% budgetary allocation to health
• No Ebola cases in Nigeria, says NCDC

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that the state now has more than 10,000 skilled healthcare workers and over 2,500 healthcare facilities, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to addressing the shortage of health personnel and improving access to healthcare facilities.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed this yesterday during the Academy of Medical Sciences Maiden Biennial Presidential Colloquium, held at the Old Great Hall, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.

The event, themed: “Nigeria’s Health at a Crossroad: Confronting Workforce Shortages, Epidemic Risks, and Maternal Mortality,” attracted distinguished experts across obstetrics, health economics, community health, and public health to provide multidisciplinary perspectives and strategic recommendations to the challenges facing the country’s healthcare sector.

The governor, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Olajide Dayo, highlighted the efforts the state government had made in the healthcare sector, such as supporting strong emergency response, effective healthcare financing and a capable, motivated workforce.

He noted that Nigeria’s healthcare sector is at a crossroads and that the only way to tackle some of the pressing challenges is by rethinking how to retain healthcare professionals, prepare for emerging threats and protect mothers and children from preventable deaths.

Sanwo-Olu, while speaking on epidemic preparedness, said that the country’s ability to contain such health emergencies would depend on disease surveillance, modern laboratories, reliable data systems, trained personnel, emergency response capacity and others.

Relatedly, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State chapter, has expressed concern over the shortage of medical doctors in the state, saying that only about 1,200 physicians are currently serving an estimated population of nine million people.

The Association said the figure translates to one doctor for about 7,500 residents, describing the situation as inadequate for the state’s healthcare needs.

Also speaking at the event, President of the Academy, Prof. Osato Frank Giwa-Osagie, emphasised the importance of the colloquium in advancing dialogue on critical priorities in Nigeria’s health sector.

He warned that without resolving issues, such as unemployment of trained professionals, absenteeism, and inadequate human resources, Nigeria could continue to experience suboptimal responses to pandemics and other health shocks, as was evident during COVID-19.

On his part, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Olajide Idris, said that Nigeria currently has no cases of Ebola.

Chairman of the state chapter of the NMA, Dr Luqman Ogunjinmi, who disclosed this yesterday in Abeokuta ahead of the Association’s 2026 NMA Week and yearly general meeting, tagged “Protecting Healthcare Providers: Addressing Violence Against Doctors and Strengthening a Safe Healthcare System,” said that although many Nigerian doctors had emigrated in search of better opportunities, those who chose to remain deserved improved welfare and greater support from the government.

He, therefore, urged the government and the public to prioritise the welfare and safety of healthcare workers who had continued to serve despite the shortage of personnel.