Surgery cost in a government hospital vs a private hospital in Nigeria: hernia, appendix, fibroid and CS

Step by step

1. 1

   Ask the government hospital for an itemised estimate

   Ask for every fee in writing: consultation, tests, theatre, surgeon, anaesthesia, consumables, blood, bed per night and drugs, plus anything you must buy yourself.

2. 2

   Ask the private hospital what its figure includes

   Ask whether the quote is for the operation alone or all-in, and what happens if you need an extra night or blood.

3. 3

   Check your HMO or a state scheme

   Ask your HMO, or Ilera Eko in Lagos, what it would pay for this operation and at which hospitals.

4. 4

   Compare like with like

   Line up the same items on each quote, then add the cost of waiting, time off work and travel.

5. 5

   Decide, then get the date in writing

   Whichever hospital you choose, get the plan, the date and the price in writing before you pay a deposit.

Three kinds of hospital, three kinds of bill

Government hospitals include the federal teaching hospitals such as LUTH, state teaching hospitals such as LASUTH, and state general hospitals. They train surgeons and do a great deal of surgery, including difficult operations. Their fees for the operation itself are usually the lowest you will see. The bill is built up in pieces, and you pay each piece at a different point.

Standard private hospitals usually quote a higher figure for the operation, and many still add tests, blood, extra nights and drugs on top. Ask whether the figure you were given is for the operation alone or for everything.

On Mezo, each operation has a published "from" price, and you get one written all-in quote after the surgeon has assessed you. It says what is included, you pay it online before the day, and nothing is paid at the counter. It is not the cheapest option. What you pay for is knowing the full price before you are admitted.

What people report paying, operation by operation

Nigerian hospitals rarely publish their prices, so the figures below come from news reports and a Lagos price survey. Each one is an estimate with a date, not a price list, and prices have risen fast in recent years. Where two sources disagree, plan for the higher figure. The hospital's own current list always comes first.

• Hernia repair: about ₦80,000 to ₦200,000 in a government or general hospital, ₦200,000 to ₦600,000 in a standard private hospital and ₦300,000 to ₦1,000,000 in a top-end private hospital (Lagos.Cool survey, May 2026). Tests, keyhole repair, both sides, and drugs and reviews after the operation are billed on top. On Mezo: from ₦850,000, mesh included.
• Appendix surgery: about ₦80,000 to ₦200,000 in a government or general hospital, ₦200,000 to ₦500,000 in a standard private hospital and ₦300,000 to ₦800,000 in a top-end private hospital (Lagos.Cool survey, May 2026). A burst appendix means a longer stay and a bigger bill. On Mezo, keyhole appendix removal: from ₦1,300,000.
• Fibroid surgery (myomectomy): Nairametrics reported in January 2025 that fibroid operations such as myomectomy cost ₦700,000 to ₦1.5 million in public hospitals and can reach ₦2.5 million or more in private ones. A May 2026 Lagos.Cool survey gives a lower public range of ₦150,000 to ₦350,000. In July 2023 The Guardian reported LUTH at ₦200,000 to ₦250,000 and LASUTH at ₦190,000 to ₦210,000 for open fibroid surgery, figures from before recent price rises. On Mezo, open myomectomy: from ₦1,000,000.
• Caesarean section: about ₦150,000 to ₦350,000 in a government or general hospital, ₦400,000 to ₦1.2 million in a private hospital and ₦500,000 to ₦2 million at the top end (Lagos.Cool, May 2026). Nairametrics reported in February 2025 that private CS costs ₦300,000 to ₦1.5 million, and more than ₦2 million with complications. On Mezo, a planned caesarean: from ₦950,000.

How a government hospital bill works

In most public hospitals you pay as you move through the hospital: a card or file fee, the consultation, each test, and then a deposit or a set of fees before theatre. Drugs, drips, sutures and other consumables are often bought separately from the pharmacy, and a pint of blood, if you need one, is another bill. Each night on the ward adds to the total. None of this is wrong, but it means the figure you hear first is rarely the figure you pay.

Some patients are also asked to bring items. In 2022, PUNCH HealthWise reported that women booking delivery at several Lagos general hospitals were asked to bring gloves, cotton wool, detergent, bleach and syringes on top of the fees. Ask early for the full list of what you must buy, so it does not surprise you on the day.

Planned operations go on a theatre list. When the list is long, or when work stops during a strike, your date can move. If your condition is getting worse while you wait, go back and tell the team.

Free and lower-cost routes worth knowing

If money is the main barrier, ask about these before you decide:

• Free caesarean section for women who cannot afford it: in April 2025 the NHIA began a programme in over 100 hospitals, in which a woman presents her National Identification Number (NIN) and the hospital's social welfare team assesses whether she qualifies (reported by Nairametrics)
• Lagos State has directed its general hospitals to provide antenatal care and delivery, including CS, free of charge, though families have reported still meeting costs (The Sun, December 2023). Ask the hospital what is free and what is not
• Ilera Eko, the Lagos State health insurance scheme run by LASHMA: BusinessDay reported in May 2026 that a free one-year Ilera Eko package for selected residents includes minor and major surgeries. If you are enrolled, ask what your own plan pays for
• If you have an HMO plan, ask what it pays for your operation before you choose a hospital. Our guide on whether HMO covers surgery lists the questions

How to compare two prices fairly

Put the quotes side by side and check they cover the same things: the surgeon, the anaesthetist, theatre, consumables, blood if needed, the nights on the ward, drugs to take home and the follow-up visit. A low figure for the operation alone can end up higher than an all-in price once everything is added. Our guide on what an all-in surgery price should include gives the full list.

Price is not the only thing to weigh. Ask who will operate, how often they do this operation, and who looks after you if something goes wrong. A good surgeon in a government hospital near you, at a price you can manage, is a sound choice. What matters is that you know the full cost and the plan before you are admitted.

Common questions