Lagos State is set to create a new regulatory agency to monitor private healthcare facilities, officials announced, in a move aimed at improving patient safety and addressing gaps in the state’s existing oversight system.
The announcement was made by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, at a Gala and Awards ceremony hosted by the state chapter of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners on Saturday.
Obasa said the decision reflects growing concerns about the standards of care in some private hospitals, which serve a significant portion of the state’s more than 20 million residents.
“We have received complaints where the health of many people was badly managed. But we don’t want that to continue,” Obasa said.
He added that the new agency would focus on ensuring that private healthcare facilities operate at acceptable levels of quality, following reports of poor medical handling and insufficient professionalism.
The planned agency is expected to strengthen oversight, enforce standards, and promote accountability in the private healthcare sector.
Obasa urged the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners to work closely with lawmakers in drafting new legislation.
Such collaboration, he added, would help ensure that resulting policies protect patients while recognising the operational realities of private medical practice.
He also assured practitioners that the Assembly remains committed to passing laws that support a business-friendly environment for healthcare entrepreneurs.
