Abuja: A United States-based Nigerian communication scholar, Mr. Habeeb Abdulrauf, says Artificial Intelligence (AI) could become a decisive tool in Nigeria’s fight against cervical cancer, according to his new research.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Abdulrauf stated that the study demonstrated how AI could help overcome public distrust that had long affected the uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the country. In the research article titled ‘How AI Can Rescue Nigeria’s Fight Against Cervical Cancer,’ obtained on Thursday, he warned that Nigeria faces a ‘silent public health crisis.’
Abdulrauf, who is an AI and social robotics researcher at Western Michigan University, highlighted that thousands of women die annually from this largely preventable disease caused by HPV. ‘Yet, the tragedy is not the absence of a solution. It is the failure to translate available solutions into public action,’ he said.
Despite the HPV vaccine’s effectiveness, its uptake in Nigeria remains very low. His study, conducted at Western Michigan University using data from young Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones, found a low uptake of the HPV vaccine among respondents. It revealed that only 6.4 per cent of participants had received at least one dose, while 88.4 per cent had not been vaccinated.
Abdulrauf attributed the gap not only to access challenges but also to a deeper crisis of trust in public health communication. He noted, ‘For decades, public health communication in Nigeria has struggled with credibility,’ citing vaccine resistance during polio eradication and hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The challenge is further exacerbated by reliance on informal digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok, where misinformation often spreads faster than verified health information. Against this backdrop, his research tested whether AI could provide a more trusted channel for health communication.
Using a WhatsApp-style chatbot interface, the study compared HPV vaccine messages attributed to an AI assistant with those attributed to government sources. ‘The findings were both surprising and instructive. AI-delivered messages performed just as well as government messages in terms of credibility, effectiveness, and vaccination intention,’ he said.
He explained that AI systems might reduce skepticism often directed at official sources, creating a neutral space for communication. However, he noted that existing trust in government and prior vaccine attitudes still strongly influenced vaccination intentions. ‘This tells us that while new communication tools matter, they must operate within a broader ecosystem of trust,’ he said.
Abdulrauf added that conversational and human-like messaging significantly improved engagement and understanding. ‘It’s not just what is communicated, but how it is communicated,’ he emphasized.
He called for the integration of AI-driven tools into public health campaigns, especially on platforms widely used by young people, to improve access to accurate health information. ‘Nigeria is not alone in facing vaccine hesitancy. But it has an opportunity to lead by adopting innovative, technology-driven approaches that align with the realities of a digital and trust-sensitive society,’ he said.
He emphasized that cervical cancer remains preventable, adding that the key challenge is translating awareness into action. ‘The tools already exist. The question is whether Nigeria is ready to rethink how it communicates,’ he concluded.