Health practitioners in Nigeria have been charged with the need to uphold the ethical practice of their profession by ensuring that technological advancements bridge the gap in healthcare inequality rather than widening it.

The call was made during a lecture delivered at the 7th convocation ceremony of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, where Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, a former vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, delivered the lecture titled ‘Adapting to the AI-Driven Future of Medicine: Educating, Equipping and Leading Nigeria’s Health Workforce for Emerging Clinical Realities’.

While speaking on the country’s preparedness for an AI-driven clinical reality, Ogundipe emphasised that the integration of technology must be underpinned by a commitment to equity and compassion.

According to the don, for AI to be effective in Nigeria’s health sector, it must be woven into the very fabric of healthcare infrastructure, noting that AI is no longer a futuristic concept but an operational reality.

He maintained that educational institutions such as the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, must lead the way in building AI-compliant human resources capable of employing AI to improve healthcare.

“AI is fast going from experimental to operational in medicine by augmenting diagnosis, triage, prediction, and administration. However, its safe and equitable impact requires physician literacy, local validation, robust governance and continual monitoring.

“We must use every tool at our disposal to assist patients with compassion, expertise, and integrity. Allow technology to enhance, rather than replace, your humanity. The future of medicine in Nigeria is not predetermined; it will be moulded by the decisions we make,” Ogundipe said.

With the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, reiterating the commitment of his administration to invest more in education, research and innovation, particularly in the health sector, he stressed that the move was part of his administration’s broader agenda for human capital development.

Aiyedatiwa said, “We recognise that no health system can rise above the quality of its manpower. This is why our government remains committed to supporting UNIMED in its mandate to train competent, ethical and compassionate medical professionals.

Ayodele Arowojolu, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, said the university was committed to advancing research and innovation and improving healthcare outcomes for Nigeria and the global community, with a strong focus on excellence and transformation of lives.

According to him, “Our university remains a young and expanding institution that requires sustained financial, material and infrastructural support to overcome its developmental challenges.

“UNIMED is still the only university in Ondo State yet to commence operations at its main site. In this regard, I respectfully appeal to the Ondo State Government to facilitate the construction of road networks within the university’s main site.

On her part, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIMED, Prof. Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, urged the graduands to carry the values, discipline and knowledge they have acquired at the university into the wider world.

On infrastructure, according to the VC, “the university is witnessing unprecedented development. And we are grateful to the Ondo State Government for its continuous support, including the commitment to tar a five-kilometre road network within our main campus and the release of N500 million as the first tranche for the construction of a Senate Building.

“Digitally, our internet capacity has been upgraded from 155 Mbps to 700 Mbps, supported by fibre-optic infrastructure and solar inverter systems. Our CBT Centre and University Health Centre are now fully powered by solar energy, ensuring uninterrupted services.”