The Lagos State Government has warned residents not to take herbal medicines that are not approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, saying they can be dangerous to health.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, gave the warning during the 2025 Lagos State Ministerial Press Briefing held on Wednesday at Alausa, Ikeja.
“No one should consume any herbal medication that is not certified by NAFDAC,” he said. “Those who indulge in unapproved herbal concoctions are exposing themselves to dangerous health conditions. The government will not be held responsible for such actions.”
During the briefing, Abayomi also shared some of the state’s achievements in the health sector and plans for the future.
He announced that three major hospitals are under construction: the Massey Children’s Hospital on Lagos Island, the Mental Health Institute at Ketu-Ejirin in Epe, and the Iba-Ojo General Hospital. He said the Massey hospital is already 70 percent complete, and all three would be ready by 2026.
“These projects will help reduce pressure on existing hospitals and improve healthcare access,” Abayomi said.
He noted that public health issues in Lagos are still serious. According to him, 20 percent of residents suffer from high blood pressure, but 70 percent of them don’t even know it. The obesity rate is now 12 percent, and over 135,000 residents are living with HIV.
Speaking on malaria, Abayomi said that from now on, patients will only be treated for malaria if they have a confirmed test result. He said this was part of efforts to improve malaria control and that there has been a steady drop in malaria cases in the state.
On the shortage of health workers, the commissioner said Lagos has only 7,000 practising doctors, while it needs about 33,000 more doctors and the same number of nurses to meet global standards.
To fix this, the government has increased the number of students admitted into the Lagos State University College of Medicine from 200 to 2,500 per year.
“This is a bold step aimed at producing the medical professionals needed to serve our fast-growing population,” Abayomi said.
He also introduced a new Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP), which will help doctors, patients, and government officials get and use health data more easily. The platform is part of a plan to digitalise healthcare in Lagos.
Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, also spoke at the briefing. She said the recent diphtheria outbreak in Lagos has been brought under control with help from mass vaccination and public education.
She urged residents to stay clean and keep their environment tidy, especially now that the rainy season is starting. “Clean surroundings are essential to preventing the outbreak and spread of communicable diseases,” she said.
