The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), has launched the Rural Health Scheme under the Eko Social Health Alliance (EKOSHA) at Agboyi Ori-Omi Community in Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
The initiative, driven by an Executive Order of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, aims to extend quality healthcare services to residents in remote and underserved communities across Lagos State, ensuring no one is left behind in the state’s march toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Under the programme, LASHMA will deploy mobile clinics and ambulances to selected rural communities three times weekly, alongside a partnership with local tricycle operators to provide free emergency transportation for patients requiring urgent care.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, described the event as a “historic milestone” in the state’s healthcare journey.
She commended Governor Sanwo-Olu’s unwavering commitment to social protection and praised his approval of the Health Equity Fund, which provides sustainable financing for health programmes targeted at vulnerable groups.
“The Rural Health Scheme is designed to bridge the healthcare access gap for residents in hard-to-reach areas without functional Primary Health Centres (PHCs),” Dr. Zamba stated.
According to her, the pilot phase will be implemented in five communities across the three senatorial districts of Lagos —
• Agboyi Ori-Omi in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA (Lagos East)
• Iba Oloja in Ibeju-Lekki LGA (Lagos East)
• Lafiaji and Okun Ajah in Eti-Osa LGA (Lagos Central)
• Boglo in Badagry (Lagos West).
She added that mobile clinics, equipped for basic primary healthcare services, will provide consultations, treatment of common illnesses, chronic disease management, laboratory investigations, and essential drug dispensing in each community.
Where necessary, patients from Agboyi Ori-Omi will be referred at no cost to Mascara PHC, Ketu, or Gbagada General Hospital through coordinated arrangements between LASHMA, Lagos Health District II, and local transporters.
Dr. Zamba also announced that Governor Sanwo-Olu had approved free health insurance coverage for 5,000 residents of Agboyi Ori-Omi under the EKOSHA Rural Health Scheme. Registration for the beneficiaries, she said, would begin immediately and continue until Friday, November 14, 2025.
“We are bringing healthcare directly to your doorsteps,” she emphasized. “There are still communities without functional health facilities, but they deserve quality care like every other Lagosian.”
Zamba explained that the Rural Health Scheme is fully funded through the Equity Fund, representing one percent of the state’s consolidated revenue.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District II, Dr. Dayo Lajide, commended the initiative, recalling that a recent medical outreach in Agboyi-Ketu revealed significant gaps in access to basic healthcare.
In his remarks, the Vice Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Hon. Yomi Ganiu, who represented the Council Chairman, Hon. (Mrs.) Adetola Adunni Abubakar, pledged that the Council would mobilize residents to register and take advantage of the services.
The Olu of Agboyi Kingdom, Oba (Engr.) Monsuru Oladega, described the initiative as “a blessing to the community” and lauded Governor Sanwo-Olu and LASHMA for their compassion and commitment to the people’s welfare.
The EKOSHA Rural Health Scheme, experts say, is a bold step toward inclusive healthcare delivery in Lagos State — a move that not only prioritizes the health of the underserved but also strengthens Lagos’ position as a model for universal health access in Nigeria.