Experts in health technology and policy have called for wider adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital innovations to improve access to quality healthcare in Nigeria and across Africa, citing technology as a critical tool for bridging gaps in service delivery and affordability.

The call was made at the third edition of the Access to Markets (A2M) event, organised under the Investing in Innovation (i3) initiative, held in Lagos.

The event brought together health-tech innovators, investors, donors, policymakers and private-sector leaders to explore scalable solutions for transforming healthcare delivery on the continent.

Speaking at the event, Director of Advisory and Partnerships at Salient Advisory, Dr Tosin Oshinubi, disclosed that 15 leading African health-tech startups were selected for the 2025 cohort, with solutions already reaching more than 66,000 healthcare providers across 12 countries.

According to him, the selected startups are deploying AI-driven solutions to improve healthcare delivery, connect providers and expand patient access across Africa.

He noted that pharmacies, which account for nearly 70 per cent of first healthcare visits, are being transformed through technology-enabled solutions such as AI-powered prescription refills, inventory management systems, product authentication, last-mile delivery and embedded financing.

Oshinubi added that over the past three years, the i3 initiative has supported more than 60 startups across 21 African countries with $3 million in direct grants, secured over $13 million in contracted partnerships, and created nearly 1,000 jobs across the healthcare value chain.

Delivering the keynote address, National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative on Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Dr Abdu Mukhtar, emphasised the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging innovation to achieve accessible and affordable universal healthcare.

He identified expanding in-country production of drugs and healthcare services, reducing outbound medical tourism and strengthening diagnostic capacity for job creation as key policy priorities.

On behalf of the programme sponsors, Senior Programme Officer for Malaria at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Kemi Tesfazghi, reaffirmed support for technology-driven healthcare solutions.

A major highlight of the event was the signing of three partnership agreements between African health-tech startups and global manufacturers, aimed at advancing AI-enabled solutions in cervical cancer prevention, pharmacy-based healthcare access and malaria care.