Primary Health Care (PHC) has taken centre stage in Lagos as government leaders, lawmakers, development partners and local council chairpersons gathered in Ikeja to confront one urgent question: how to sustain the health facilities that serve as the first—and often only—lifeline for millions of residents.
The one-day Joint Leadership Dialogue, convened by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB) in collaboration with partners including Engender Health, Nigeria Health Watch and the World Bank–supported IMPACT Project, brought together chairpersons of the state’s 57 LGAs and LCDAs under the theme “Strengthening PHC Systems: A Joint Leadership Dialogue.”
Speaking at the forum, Special Adviser on Health to the Lagos state Governor, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi stressed that PHCs are not just clinics but the bedrock of public health, critical to preventing disease, reducing maternal and child mortality and easing pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals.
One key message resonated throughout the meeting: prevention is cheaper, smarter and more sustainable than crisis response.
“If we get primary health care right, we will reduce the pressure on our secondary and tertiary facilities,” a senior health official, said Dr. Veronica Olubunmi Iwayemi, Director, Medical Services & Disease Control at the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board.
“We will prevent disease rather than chase outbreaks. Most importantly, we will give our people confidence that government is present where it matters most.”
The scale of the challenge is stark. Lagos currently has 343 functional PHCs across 376 wards, leaving 111 wards without a centre. While over two million visits were recorded in 2025, officials acknowledged gaps in infrastructure, human resources and community trust.
The state needs at least 6,000 PHC workers but currently has about 4,000, a shortfall being bridged through task-shifting, continuous training and the recruitment of community health extension workers.
Yet there are gains. Lagos has no stock-out of essential medicines, 101 PHCs are already digitised, and new standardised prototypes for PHC construction—energy-efficient, climate-smart and infection-control compliant—have been approved. These comprehensive centres, operating 24 hours a day, are designed to serve up to 50,000 residents and act as referral hubs.
Lawmakers also pledged backing. Addressing participants, the Chairman, House Committee on Health at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Lawal Aina said the legislature would continue to support PHC through funding, oversight and laws that strengthen health insurance and protect vulnerable families from catastrophic health spending.
“Strong health systems are built not only on good policies but on effective implementation, adequate funding and sustained oversight,” he said.
Beyond government action, today’s engagement was described as crucial because it aligns leadership across tiers at a time of rising population pressure. Lagos absorbs an estimated 3,000 new residents daily, straining services and making coordinated action unavoidable.
Development partners echoed this urgency. Engender Health’s Country Representative, Dr Kabiru Atta likened the health system to a journey requiring not just facilities, but trained personnel and steady financing. “You can have the best buildings, but without health workers and commodities, the system cannot move,” he warned.
As discussions closed, participants were reminded that history will not count meetings held, but lives saved. The way forward, leaders agreed, lies in protected funding for PHCs, accelerated construction using approved prototypes, expanded health insurance coverage, stronger community engagement and shared accountability between state and local governments.
“Whatever we do now will be our legacy,” an official said. “Let us strengthen primary health care—not as an obligation, but as a promise to the people.”
