The President of the Greater Lagos Initiative (GLI), Prince Adeniyi Olutimehin, has extolled the visionary leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for prioritizing healthcare as a cornerstone of inclusive governance, describing his health reforms as a model of equity, access, and compassion. Olutimehin particularly eulogised the Governor’s compassion for vulnerable citizens, citing the recent Ilera Eko Free Health Insurance Outreach held in the Megida community of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA within the Ikeja Division, where 500 hundred residents, especially widows, artisans, the elderly, and indigent families, were enrolled into the Ilera Eko Social Health Insurance Scheme at no cost. He described this gesture as a clear demonstration that the Governor is not only building hospitals but also building hope, stressing that by extending free health coverage to the poorest of the poor, Sanwo-Olu has proven that in Lagos, no one is too small to matter and no one is too poor to be cared for.

According to Olutimehin, the Governor’s healthcare blueprint is driven by access, affordability, quality, and resilience, which are reflected in the revitalization of primary healthcare facilities, the expansion of emergency response systems, stronger quality assurance mechanisms, and the equitable distribution of health personnel. He noted that from community clinics to referral hospitals, Lagos is witnessing a silent revolution where healthcare is no longer a privilege of the few but a right for all. He commended the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), under the effective leadership of Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, for turning the Governor’s vision into a reality through the Ilera Eko Social Health Insurance Scheme. He praised the scheme for its comprehensive benefits package covering outpatient, inpatient, maternal and child health, surgeries, diagnostics, and essential drugs; its expanding network of both public and private providers across the state; its equity funds and subsidies for the poor and vulnerable; its digital enrollment and call center support that make registration seamless; its community outreach programmes like the Megida Ayobo-Ipaja enrolment drive that take healthcare to the doorsteps of residents; and its efficient provider payment system that sustains service quality and prevents drug shortages.

Olutimehin affirmed that Ilera Eko is democratizing healthcare access by enabling ordinary Lagosians, from cleaners and traders to artisans and transport workers, to enjoy dignified care without fear of financial ruin. He noted that these reforms are already yielding tangible results such as safer childbirth for pregnant women, improved access to routine medications for the elderly, reduced waiting times, smoother referrals between primary and tertiary care, and renewed confidence in public health facilities as service delivery standards improve. He commended Dr. Zamba for her sterling leadership, describing her as a reformer whose discipline, transparency, and results-driven approach have tightened provider standards, expanded enrollments, and strengthened equity interventions, making Ilera Eko a reference point in Nigeria’s health insurance system.

Reaffirming GLI’s commitment to supporting government, Olutimehin pledged continued partnership through advocacy, community mobilization, and technical support to deepen universal health coverage in Lagos. He urged residents, community leaders, faith groups, and trade associations to embrace the Ilera Eko scheme and ensure active participation, stressing that Governor Sanwo-Olu has shown that healthcare is a covenant of compassion. Through Ilera Eko, he has planted the seeds of a healthier, more resilient, and equitable Lagos, while Dr. Zamba and her team are nurturing it with diligence. He concluded that it is now the collective duty of all citizens to water it with participation, trust, and ownership.