An estimated six million residents of Lagos State are living with hypertension, with most unaware of their condition, the Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has revealed.
He shared the figures on Tuesday during a leadership dialogue organized by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch. The event brought together government officials, health administrators, and local government leaders to review primary healthcare delivery and identify urgent gaps.
Abayomi described hypertension, diabetes, and obesity as “silent killers” causing preventable complications such as heart failure, kidney failure and stroke. About 20 per cent of Lagosians, roughly six million people, are hypertensive, with around 70 per cent (4.2 million) unaware of their condition.
The commissioner emphasized that hypertension and diabetes often progress without obvious symptoms until significant damage occurs, saying, “The lack of awareness is a major reason these conditions continue to cause severe health outcomes”. He stressed the importance of routine screening, early detection, and regular primary healthcare checks to prevent complications that overwhelm secondary and tertiary hospitals.
Simple interventions such as blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing, weight monitoring, and lifestyle counseling can significantly reduce the burden of these diseases if delivered effectively through functional primary healthcare centers (PHCs), Abayomi added.
The commissioner also noted that many residents bypass PHCs and go directly to private hospitals or informal providers like pharmacies and patent medicine vendors, undermining early detection and long-term care for chronic conditions.
Abayomi further highlighted child malnutrition, revealing that four in ten children in Lagos suffer from some form of malnutrition, a major contributor to poor health outcomes, weakened immunity, and higher disease vulnerability.
The dialogue focused on aligning policy, financing, and service delivery to strengthen PHCs. Participants discussed ways to improve collaboration between state agencies, local governments, and communities to ensure primary healthcare facilities are equipped to provide preventive, promotive, and basic curative services effectively.
