Lagos requires an additional 33,000 doctors to serve its expanding population, says commissioner

.Targets improved welfare package, attracts diaspora

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

The Lagos State Government has revealed that the state requires roughly 40,000 medical doctors to meet the health needs of its expanding population. At present, only about 7,000 doctors are employed, leaving a shortfall of more than 33,000 physicians.

The administration reiterated its commitment to mitigating brain drain and promoting brain gain by enhancing welfare packages, upgrading infrastructure, and improving living wages for doctors and other health‑care workers in Lagos.

Health Commissioner Prof. Akin Abayomi made these statements on Tuesday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, which marked the seventh anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu’s administration and Deputy Dr. Obafemi Hamzat’s tenure.

Abayomi noted that the state needs an additional 33,000 health personnel to close the manpower gap in the health sector, describing the shortage as part of a wider global workforce crisis affecting many nations.

He explained, “Nigeria has 40,000 doctors, which translates to one doctor for every 5,000 people. The country needs 300,000 new doctors, while Lagos alone requires 40,000 more. Currently, Lagos has 7,000 doctors. The gap for Lagos is 30,000 doctors and 40,000 nurses.”

While characterising the deficit as a global phenomenon, Abayomi added that Lagos is becoming increasingly attractive to health‑care professionals.

He continued, “For every doctor we have in Lagos, they are doing the work of ten.”

To address brain drain, Abayomi said the government is implementing health‑care financing reforms, improving welfare and living conditions for medical staff, and creating pathways for Nigerian doctors abroad to return home.

He mentioned that staff accommodation has been constructed in some hospitals, and that doctors’ quarters in several general hospitals are currently being renovated.

Abayomi stated, “To reduce brain drain and facilitate brain gain, the Lagos State government is prioritising health‑care finance reform, improving the working conditions of health workers, enhancing their living standards, and encouraging the return of Nigerian doctors in the diaspora.”

“To achieve this, we are upgrading service conditions at our health facilities with a view to improving the quality of life and work environment for our health workers,” he added.

“We recently completed a housing complex for 72 house officers at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), and work at Odan is ongoing.”

“Staff quarters at Gbagada, Ojo and LASUTH are nearing completion. Going forward, new medical facilities will include staff quarters nearby.”

The commissioner also disclosed that LASUTH currently employs 120 specialists, while general hospitals across the state have about 250 specialists in total.

Looking ahead to 2052, Abayomi projected that Lagos will emerge as a premier medical‑tourism destination, supported by mandatory health insurance to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

He affirmed that infrastructure remains a top priority for the administration and noted that the state has developed a medical blueprint that emphasizes sustainable and renewable designs for health facilities.

“We are ensuring that the health sector is robust enough to handle any challenges that arise,” he said.

According to Abayomi, Lagos presently has 34 secondary and tertiary public health facilities, 325 Primary Health Care Centres, approximately 3,500 private health facilities, and over 10,000 community pharmacies and patent‑and‑proprietary‑medicine vendors operating in the informal sector.

He asserted that Lagos remains one of Africa’s leading health‑care destinations, currently ranked eighth among African cities for health‑care delivery, and is striving to move into the top three.

The other cities on the ranking include Cape Town, Pretoria, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Durban, Algiers, Tunis, Cairo and Casablanca.

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