Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
Colonoscopy in Lagos
A thin flexible camera is passed through the back passage to look at the whole large bowel. It finds the cause of bleeding or a change in bowel habit, and it finds polyps, the small growths that turn into bowel cancer, early enough to remove them before they do. It is done as a day case in our endoscopy suite on Victoria Island, usually with sedation, and you go home the same day.
Also called: Lower GI endoscopy, Bowel camera test, Colon check, Colonoscopy screening
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Published price
₦450,000
Colonoscopy, with the specialist's report and a doctor's review
All-in: sedation, bowel preparation and biopsies included. Paid online, nothing on the day.
What the price covers
- The procedure, performed and reported by an endoscopy specialist
- The bowel preparation and its instructions
- Sedation, if you want it
- A recovery bed and nursing care until you are ready to go home
- Laboratory analysis of any biopsy taken during the procedure
- A written report you keep, in your Mezo account
- A teleconsult with a doctor to go through the report and agree the next step
What it does not cover
- Treatment of anything found that needs a separate procedure, which is planned and priced with you first
- Transport home: you need someone to take you
Related prices
Gastroscopy and colonoscopy together, one session
₦750,000
What would change this price
- Nothing on the day. Biopsies and the removal of small polyps during the procedure are included
- A polyp large enough to need a separate, longer procedure to remove, which is planned and priced with you first
Most HMO plans cover endoscopy only with a pre-authorisation code from the HMO, and many limit it to a named hospital. The price here is the cash price, paid online. If you would rather use your HMO, ask us first and we will tell you what your plan covers before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- Blood in or on the stool, or bleeding from the back passage, especially from about forty
- A change in bowel habit lasting more than a few weeks: looser, more often, or constipation that is new
- Unexplained iron deficiency anaemia or weight loss
- Bowel cancer screening from forty-five, or earlier with a parent, brother or sister who had bowel cancer
- A positive stool test for hidden blood (FOB or FIT)
- Follow-up after polyps were removed, at the interval the report gives
When it is not the right answer
- Heavy bleeding, feeling faint or severe abdominal pain now: go to an emergency department
- A recent heart attack or a lung or heart condition that makes sedation unsafe, until a doctor has assessed it
- Pregnancy, unless a specialist says the answer cannot wait
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Book and pay online₦450,000
Choose a date, pay the fixed price, and tell us about your medicines. Blood thinners, iron tablets and diabetes medicines may need changing before the day, and we tell you how.
- 2
The preparation
The bowel must be empty for the camera to see. The preparation is included, and the centre gives it to you with its instructions when you book: a low-fibre diet for a day or two, then a laxative drink the evening before and on the morning. You will spend much of that evening on the toilet. This is the hardest part, and the most important one.
- 3
On the day
You lie on your side and most people have sedation, so you are drowsy and comfortable. The procedure takes twenty to forty-five minutes. Air is used to open the bowel, which can feel like cramp or wind.
- 4
Recovery and going home
About an hour on a recovery bed while the sedation wears off. Someone must take you home, and you should not drive, sign anything important or drink alcohol for the rest of the day.
- 5
Your report and the review
The specialist tells you what was seen before you leave, and the written report goes into your Mezo account. A doctor then goes through it with you by video and agrees the next step: nothing, a repeat in some years, or treatment.
What happens afterwards
Same day
Bloating and passing wind for a few hours. Eat normally once you are home.
Next day
Back to work and normal activity for most people.
After a biopsy or polyp removal
A little blood in the first stool or two can be normal. Heavy bleeding, a fever or worsening pain is not: call us or go to an emergency department.
Risks and limits you should know
- Bloating and cramp from the air, which passes within hours
- Bleeding after a biopsy or polyp removal, usually minor
- Reaction to the sedation
- A tear in the bowel wall (perforation), rare but serious, and more likely when a large polyp is removed
- A small chance of missing a polyp, which is why a clean bowel matters
Every treatment has limits and side effects. Yours are explained before you start, and you can always say no.
Questions people ask
How much does a colonoscopy cost in Lagos?
On Mezo it is ₦450,000, one fixed price paid online, with sedation, the bowel preparation, any biopsy, the specialist's written report and a doctor's review all included. Nothing is paid on the day. MezoCare members pay ₦385,000. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy together in one session is ₦750,000.
Is a colonoscopy painful?
Most people have sedation and remember little of it. Without sedation it is uncomfortable rather than painful: cramp and pressure as the camera moves round the bends of the bowel. The preparation the day before is the part most people find unpleasant.
Will I be asleep?
Sedation makes you drowsy and relaxed rather than fully asleep, and most people remember little afterwards. It is why you need someone to take you home.
I am not sick. Why would I have one?
Because bowel cancer grows silently for years, usually from a polyp that causes no symptoms at all. A colonoscopy finds and removes polyps before they become cancer. That is why screening is offered to people with no symptoms from forty-five.
Can I book one for my mother or father from abroad?
Yes. You book and pay online and the preparation, appointment and report are handled with them in Lagos. With their permission the report and the review can include you.
Where is it done?
In our endoscopy suite on Victoria Island, Lagos, with its own recovery beds. The exact address and your time come with the booking.
What if they find something?
Small polyps are usually removed during the same procedure. Anything that needs a sample is biopsied and sent to the laboratory, at no extra cost. The doctor's review goes through the result with you, and if treatment is needed you get a plan and a price before anything is booked.
Sources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Colonoscopy. NHS. Patient information.
- Bowel polyps. NHS. Patient information.
- Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NG12). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical guideline.
Links last checked 13 October 2026.
Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 13 October 2026. The consultation fee is the same whatever is found. Anything that follows, such as medication, tests or further sessions, is priced and agreed with you before it starts.