Abuja: Walking into a typical primary healthcare centre in Nigeria, one is often confronted by overworked health workers juggling long queues, limited diagnostic tools, and incomplete patient records. By contrast, in better-equipped facilities, digital platforms powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) can already analyse symptoms, flag high-risk cases, and support clinical decisions within seconds. This stark disparity captures Nigeria’s evolving relationship with AI in healthcare; a space marked by high expectations, but also deep concerns about readiness, regulation, and public trust.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, health experts say AI has moved beyond the realm of distant innovation to become a practical tool for healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Its relevance is growing as the country faces an overstretched workforce, a rising disease burden, and mounting pressure to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In recent months, initiatives such as the launch of AI-enabled healthcare platforms and renewed policy conversations have brought the debate into sharper focus.
While proponents argue that AI could help Nigeria overcome long-standing structural weaknesses, critics warn that weak data systems, poor infrastructure, and regulatory gaps may limit its impact, or even cause harm. Speaking in Abuja at the inauguration of the Koyo Navigate App, an AI-enabled healthcare service platform, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, described AI as a potential equaliser in a health system marked by inequality.
Beyond political endorsements, health technology experts say AI is already transforming healthcare delivery worldwide, offering lessons Nigeria could adapt to its own context. At the Afrihealth Conferences and Exhibitions in Abuja, Dr. Kunle Kakanfo, founder of Artificial Intelligence for Social Impact Development (AI4SID), said Nigeria must harness AI to strengthen its fragile health system. ‘We are seeing AI used in clinical decision support, with chatbots helping people identify basic symptoms and supporting healthcare workers to determine which conditions require urgent attention,’ Kakanfo said.
For others, the appeal of AI lies primarily in its ability to stretch Nigeria’s limited human resources. Mr. Abdulhamid Yahaya, Deputy Director for Global Health Informatics at eHealth Africa, said Nigeria’s low doctor-to-patient ratio made technology indispensable. Similarly, Dr. Francis Ohanyido, Director-General of the West African Institute of Public Health, outlined AI as a transformative technology that could redefine work and healthcare delivery if properly understood and managed.
Albeit this optimism, concerns remain substantial. At the global level, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that although the use of AI in healthcare is accelerating, legal and ethical safeguards are lagging behind. In a report titled `Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Health Systems: State of Readiness across the WHO European Region’, the organisation noted that AI is already helping doctors detect diseases earlier, reduce administrative burdens, and improve patient communication.
These concerns resonate locally. Dr. Kemisola Agbaoye, Director of Programmes at Nigeria Health Watch, said Nigeria still faces major gaps in data quality, infrastructure, skills, and public trust. In response, the Federal Government says steps are being taken to address these challenges. Dr. Leke Ojewale, Senior Technical Adviser to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare on Digital Health, said the Nigerian Digital Health Architecture (NDHA) is being developed to ensure AI tools operate within a unified and secure system.
On the legislative front, the National Assembly has also pledged support for digital health innovation. The Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said lawmakers were committed to advancing legislation that supports telemedicine, electronic health records, and the use of AI for diagnosis and surveillance. Even so, experts agree on a critical caveat; AI must complement and not replace human judgement. Aligning with this view, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kwara Chapter, said the use of AI in medicine should enhance human intelligence rather than substitute it.
Without technology, analysts warn, Nigeria may struggle to meet its UHC targets. With it, the country has an opportunity to improve diagnostics, surveillance, and access to care at scale. For now, the conversation continues, balancing optimism with caution. Policymakers, health workers, and citizens are weighing how best to harness artificial intelligence to strengthen healthcare delivery while protecting patients, data, and public trust.