To stay ahead of the curve in healthcare education and delivery, the Lagos State government has charged stakeholders in the sector to embrace the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an important tool to improve the sector and shape the future of healthcare in the country.
The state Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Alex Alake, who gave the charge at a management retreat by the Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET), held at the Crown City Resort Agbara, Ogun State, stressed the transformative potential of AI in healthcare delivery.
Alake, at the two-day retreat themed: ‘Preparing the allied healthcare workforce for an AI-driven future: Education strategies for tomorrow’s challenges,’ enjoined healthcare professionals to be curious, bold and tech-savvy, noting that the future of healthcare in Lagos would be shaped by those who embrace innovation.
Represented by the Deputy Director of ICT Training and Service Management, Mrs Gbemisola Kayode-Bolarinwa, the commissioner said: “LASCOHET has a unique opportunity to pioneer AI-ready allied health professionals who will improve accuracy in diagnostics and enhance efficiency in hospitals and clinics, as well as bridge healthcare gaps in underserved communities.”
The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr Tolani Akibu, announced plans by the government to upgrade the college, saying efforts are in top gear to review the law establishing it.
Akibu enjoined members of staff to support the college’s goals, noting that unity and collective efforts are key drivers of institutional success.
The keynote speaker and Director, Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB), Dr Kolawole Godonu, said AI is transforming healthcare delivery, calling for greater integration in curriculum re-engineering, simulation-based learning, and industry-academia collaboration.
Godonu said: “The five proposed strategies are curriculum re-engineering, faculty development, simulation-based learning, data-driven decision-making, and industry-academia collaboration.
“Traditional curricula must evolve to integrate modules on data literacy, machine learning, AI, digital diagnostics, and tele-health systems.”
He advised the college to democratise access to AI knowledge by ensuring that graduates are equipped to evaluate AI for fairness, accuracy, and inclusiveness.
The Provost, Prof. Raheem Akewushola, said the retreat was an opportunity for them to reflect, learn, and chart a bold course for the future of healthcare education in Lagos State.
While emphasising the need to ensure that students are not left behind in the use of AI, Akewushola said the retreat served as an avenue to exchange ideas, revisit strategies, and develop actionable plans that will guide the college in integrating AI and other emerging technologies into their curriculum, research, and day-to-day operations.
Akewushola noted that AI is no longer an abstract concept, but a force that is already reshaping how we diagnose, treat, manage, and even prevent diseases.
He stressed that the healthcare workforce of tomorrow must, therefore, be technology savvy, adaptable, and ready to thrive in an increasingly automated world.
