The Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) has launched two new health insurance packages targeted at Nigerians in the diaspora and visitors to the state, marking a major expansion of its Ilera-Eko diaspora offerings.
The new plans — Ilera-Eko Waka-Well and Ilera-Eko Home Konnect — were unveiled on Tuesday during the agency’s 2025 Fourth Quarter Media Parley held in Alausa. Stakeholders described the initiative as a strategic step toward expanding access to healthcare, strengthening health financing, and accelerating progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, said the packages were introduced in response to increasing demand from Nigerians abroad and the need to extend health coverage to residents and visitors under Lagos State’s mandatory health insurance framework.
Highlighting some of the agency’s innovations, she listed the Ilera-N’tiwa Cooperative, Ilera-Eko Academy, telemedicine services, and the Ilera-Eko Spotlight Online Radio — Nigeria’s first health insurance radio platform. She stressed that these initiatives are designed to boost enrolment and improve service delivery for millions of Lagos residents.
On the new diaspora products, Dr. Zamba explained that LASHMA partnered with private-sector stakeholders, including Pinnacle Global Business Services, Nomad Doc Limited, and Mrs. Taiwo Salvador, to promote the plans locally and internationally. She said separating the diaspora package into two distinct plans would better cater to travellers, diasporans, and families abroad seeking sustainable healthcare coverage for loved ones in Lagos.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora and Foreign Relations, Mr. Jermaine Sanwo-Olu, said Nigerians across the globe have welcomed the Waka-Well and Home Konnect plans, explaining that the Waka-Well plan is designed for diasporans and visitors returning to Lagos during festive seasons.
He added that the Home Konnect plan serves as a lifeline for millions of Nigerians abroad who regularly remit funds for healthcare. The plan, he said, provides structured and dependable coverage for loved ones in Lagos while eliminating the burden of unsustainable medical remittances.
Delivering a technical presentation on the plans, LASHMA’s Head of Business Development, Mr. Rotimi Olatunji, said the Waka-Well package covers common travel-related illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, and diarrhoea. It also includes diagnostic services, emergency care, telemedicine, dental and eye care, as well as local ambulance evacuation.
He disclosed that the Waka-Well plan costs ₦45,000 for a 90-day stay and ₦75,000 for multiple trips or extended stays. The target beneficiaries include tourists, charity workers, researchers, athletes, cultural groups, and other non-immigrant visitors.
Olatunji added that over 550,000 Nigerians arrived through Lagos airports by mid-November 2024, spending more than ₦350 billion during the festive season. He said the new insurance product is expected to transform “Detty December” into a “Healthy December.”
