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Targets tourists, returning Nigerians and families abroad
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By Doris Obinna
The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has launched two new health insurance packages aimed at Nigerians in the diaspora and short-term visitors, marking a major expansion of the Ilera-Eko health insurance scheme.
The plans, Ilera-Eko Waka-Well and Ilera-Eko Home Konnect, were unveiled during the agency’s fourth-quarter 2025 media parley held in Alausa, Ikeja, where stakeholders hailed the initiative as a significant step towards enhancing access to affordable healthcare and accelerating Lagos State’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the event, LASHMA’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, said the new offerings were developed in response to growing requests from Nigerians living abroad and the need to protect both residents and travellers under the state’s mandatory health insurance framework. She noted that the initiative, launched weeks before the global UHC Day, underscores the state government’s commitment to providing equitable healthcare for all, regardless of location.
Zamba also reflected on the agency’s quarterly media parley introduced in March 2025, which has become a key platform for updating the public on reforms and innovations such as the Ilera-N’tiwa Cooperative, Ilera-Eko Academy, telemedicine services and the Ilera-Eko Spotlight Online Radio.
On the new diaspora-focused plans, Zamba confirmed partnerships with Pinnacle Global Business Services, Nomad Doc Limited and Mrs Taiwo Salvado to market the products locally and internationally. She explained that separating the diaspora package into two components would enable tailored services for travellers, returning Nigerians and families abroad seeking reliable healthcare support for loved ones in Lagos. She added that recent policy adjustments on maternal and surgical services were yielding positive outcomes without reducing existing benefits.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, described Ilera-Eko as the most cost-effective health insurance available to Lagos residents. He noted that a family of six could access comprehensive healthcare for roughly N180 to N220 daily – equivalent to the price of a sachet of paracetamol.
He urged journalists to intensify public sensitisation, stressing that word-of-mouth referrals had significantly boosted enrolment. Bajulaiye stated that the scheme is already improving maternal outcomes across communities and reminded the public that health insurance remains compulsory in Lagos under an Executive Order by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
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The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, Mr Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, applauded LASHMA for what he described as a groundbreaking development in Africa’s health insurance landscape. He said Nigerians across continents were embracing the Waka-Well and Home Konnect packages, which address longstanding challenges faced by diasporans.
Waka-Well, he noted, offers immediate and affordable coverage for returning travellers, particularly during festive “Detty December” periods, while the Home Konnect plan provides reliable healthcare support for families in Lagos and solves the problem of inconsistent medical remittances from abroad.
Providing a technical breakdown, LASHMA’s Head of Business Development, Mr Rotimi Olatunji, said the Waka-Well package covers common travel-related illnesses, diagnostics, telemedicine, dental and eye care, emergency services and ambulance evacuation. The plan costs N45,000 for a 90-day visit and N75,000 for extended or multiple trips. Target clients include tourists, charity workers, researchers, sports teams, cultural groups and other non-immigrant visitors.
Olatunji noted that over 550,000 Nigerians arrived via the Lagos Airport by mid-November 2024, spending more than N350 billion, and said the plan aims to transform “dirty December” into “healthy December”. He added that the Home Konnect package allows diasporans to directly pay premiums for relatives in Lagos, covering consultations, surgeries, physiotherapy, chronic disease care, maternal services and annual screenings. He estimated the potential market at more than 20 million Nigerians living overseas.
The partners also expressed strong support. The Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Global, Mr Akande Ojo, praised LASHMA’s vision and vowed to promote the diaspora plans globally, noting that growing trust in Lagos’ health reforms strengthens prospects for international expansion. Meanwhile, the Board Chairman of Nomad Doc Ltd, Dr Elizabeth Onifade, described the packages as transformative, emphasising their potential to improve health outcomes, reduce financial hardship and ensure continuity of care for vulnerable families.
The media parley also provided an opportunity for journalists to seek clarification on implementation timelines, premium structures and provider networks for the new plans. LASHMA assured that the press would receive comprehensive documentation to aid in public education and awareness.
The agency stated that it has wrapped up its final media parley for 2025 with the introduction of the Waka-Well and Home Konnect packages. Meanwhile, Zamba expressed optimism that the agency would enter 2026 with renewed momentum as it rolls out new strategies to expand enrolment and promote a vibrant health insurance culture among youths and other demographic groups.
