Get Guardian on GoogleDr Abiodun Adereni is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and artificial intelligence (AI) innovator who founded HelpMum, Dobic Health and Smart MRS. In this interview with IJEOMA NWANOSIKE, he discusses AI’s potential to transform healthcare, Nigeria’s infrastructure and funding challenges, the need to expand health insurance and why government should invest in indigenous research and innovation.
What does the future of healthcare in Nigeria look like over the next five to 10 years, and what major changes should Nigerians expect?
For Nigeria to achieve the healthcare system we envisage, several policy changes are necessary. One important initiative is the Lagos State Government’s move to make health insurance mandatory for residents. This provides a foundation for expanding coverage and encouraging investment in the sector.
I expect healthcare delivery to become increasingly digitalised over the next five years. Patients will be able to access certain services from home, check test results and obtain medical information through verified online platforms. Although these services already exist, they are not yet mainstream.
Health maintenance organisations (HMOs) and health insurance will also become more widespread if governments implement the necessary policies. We will see technologies that improve healthcare providers’ efficiency, particularly innovations that accelerate diagnostic processes and the production of medical test results.
Healthcare financing will attract more investment as insurance coverage expands. Imagine a situation where most Nigerians have health insurance, just as access to bank accounts has become widespread. That would create a large market for businesses developing solutions to improve healthcare access and financing.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in diagnosis, medical research, drug development and patient management. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for AI in Nigeria, and where should we exercise caution?
AI has enormous potential in drug discovery and development. Globally, research is exploring how the technology can improve understanding of patients, support drug development and strengthen pharmaceutical manufacturing.
However, we must exercise caution when using AI for healthcare information and advice. People can use it to understand symptoms or prepare questions for their doctors, but it cannot replace medical professionals or healthcare infrastructure.
I have heard of people using AI to obtain drug recommendations. This is risky because the technology may not have access to a person’s complete medical history, underlying health conditions or other factors that determine whether a medication is safe.
A doctor can assess a patient’s medical history before recommending treatment. AI should support healthcare delivery, not replace professional medical judgement or become a substitute for medical attention.
There are growing concerns that AI is developing faster than safety measures and regulation. Should Nigeria slow down its deployment in healthcare, or would that risk leaving the country behind technologically?
Nigeria is not advancing at that pace yet. We are not innovating at the level required to make slowing down a major concern. I do not think we should restrict innovation. Even if we were moving faster, catching up with leading countries within the next 10 years would be difficult because AI is advancing rapidly. Developments by companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic demonstrate how quickly the technology is evolving.
However, speed should not be our primary concern. AI can be harmful even at its current stage if it is not properly managed. What matters is putting appropriate safeguards and regulatory structures in place.
AI companies, particularly major developers, must be scrutinised and monitored. They should have internal processes to ensure their products are developed and deployed responsibly.
We must encourage innovation while strengthening oversight and accountability, rather than creating an environment that discourages research and development.
Nigeria still faces inadequate infrastructure, shortages of healthcare workers, unreliable electricity and limited access to quality data. Is there a danger of focusing too heavily on sophisticated AI solutions while basic health-system gaps remain unresolved?
Absolutely. We must address fundamental infrastructure challenges before expecting AI innovations to thrive on a large scale. Take electricity, for instance. Nigeria is struggling with electricity generation of about 6,600 megawatts, while actual output has, at its best, been around 4,500 megawatts. Imagine a company in the United States planning to consume several gigawatts of electricity.
How do you expect Nigerian innovators to compete under these circumstances?
Without reliable electricity, there is a limit to what technology companies can achieve. We cannot expect people to develop and sustain major innovations when the infrastructure required to power them is unavailable.
Reliable electricity would give innovators the confidence to develop bigger ideas and invest in ambitious projects. We must also address other infrastructure requirements instead of concentrating on sophisticated AI products while neglecting the fundamentals.
Resolving the power challenge would create a better environment for innovation and encourage more people to remain in Nigeria and develop solutions locally.
What are the biggest barriers preventing promising health innovations developed by Nigerian entrepreneurs, researchers and institutions from moving beyond the laboratory or pilot stage to widespread adoption?
The biggest barrier is funding and investment. Nigeria has brilliant innovators who, with the right resources and support, can develop solutions to address the country’s healthcare challenges. Unfortunately, limited funding prevents many promising innovations from growing beyond the pilot stage or becoming sustainable.
Consider the investments made in companies such as OpenAI. Without substantial financial backing, we might not be witnessing the level of advancement in AI today. Nigerian innovators need similar support from investors, wealthy individuals, philanthropists and businesses.
Government also has an important role. It must prioritise research and development and deliberately invest in homegrown innovations.
For instance, government could set aside $100 million to support about 10 promising innovators. Such funding would enable them to develop, test and scale their technologies.
Nigeria should also establish a national AI institute to drive research, support innovators and create an environment where locally developed solutions can thrive.
Another challenge is the misconception that innovations developed with grant funding should provide services free of charge. Although international grants are important for getting projects started, they should not undermine the commercial sustainability of the businesses developing those solutions.
Innovators must generate revenue to sustain operations, employ people and improve their technologies. Without viable business models, promising innovations can collapse when grant funding ends.
We therefore need investments that enable innovators to build sustainable businesses, alongside government support, private-sector participation and philanthropic funding. Nigeria has the talent and market; what is missing is the investment required to unlock that potential.
Given the high cost of healthcare and the large proportion of Nigerians who pay out of pocket, how can innovation make healthcare more affordable and accelerate universal health coverage?
Health insurance must become mainstream if Nigeria is to achieve universal health coverage. It should be accessible to many Nigerians so that people do not depend entirely on out-of-pocket payments when seeking medical attention.
I support the Lagos State Government’s initiative to make health insurance mandatory for residents. If other states adopt similar policies, more Nigerians will have coverage, creating opportunities for businesses and innovators to develop services around the insurance system.
Nigeria has a population approaching 200 million. Imagine if more than 150 million people had health insurance. That would create a substantial market for companies developing platforms and services that connect patients to healthcare providers and improve access to treatment.
Businesses would have greater incentives to invest in solutions that make healthcare more accessible and affordable. However, insurance coverage must first become widespread.
How can government support indigenous health innovators to expand their solutions and improve healthcare delivery across the country?
Government needs to provide direct financial and institutional support to indigenous innovators. For instance, if the government supports my company, Dobic Health, with $50 million, I can use the investment to build healthcare infrastructure across the country.
My ambition is to establish at least 20 Dobic Health clinics nationwide. Such an investment could also create employment opportunities, potentially allowing the company to employ close to 1,000 people.
We would invest continuously in research and development and recruit more AI research engineers. Competitive salaries would help retain talented professionals who might otherwise leave Nigeria in search of better opportunities.
Another priority is digitalising clinics and diagnostic centres. Digital records would improve the management of patients’ medical histories and make their information accessible when they move between healthcare facilities.
We should not have situations where patients visit different hospitals and their medical records are lost. Digitalisation would improve continuity of care and help healthcare providers make better-informed decisions.
We also want to contribute to revitalising primary healthcare centres, many of which require rehabilitation or rebuilding. This could include providing hospital beds and other essential facilities. Government investment in indigenous health innovators would support business growth, create jobs, strengthen research and improve healthcare infrastructure.
With the Federal Government establishing the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office, and more patient information moving onto digital platforms, how prepared is Nigeria to protect health data and regulate the ethical use of AI?
The government has established structures for data protection, including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). These provide a foundation for protecting personal information.
With the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office, I believe the NDPC should work closely with the new office to ensure patients’ health information is properly protected.
Data privacy is important. In countries such as the United States, major data breaches attract serious consequences and considerable attention. Nigeria is making progress, but data protection is not yet sufficiently understood or widely discussed.
The NDPC already has requirements for organisations handling certain categories or volumes of personal data, including registration and data protection audits. These measures will become increasingly important as healthcare providers adopt digital platforms and AI technologies.
We must ensure that patients’ information is not exposed or handled carelessly. Stronger institutional collaboration will be essential as emerging technologies become integrated into healthcare delivery.
What innovations or reforms should Nigeria prioritise to build a resilient, patient-centred and globally competitive healthcare system?
Mainstreaming health insurance is one of the most important reforms. Lagos State has taken steps by making health insurance mandatory for residents, and other states should consider similar policies.
Widespread coverage would encourage more companies to enter the healthcare sector and give innovators a larger market for developing solutions that improve access to medical services.
Nigeria also needs to establish a national AI institute to support research and development. We must invest substantially in research and provide funding for promising innovators. I believe about $100 million should be committed to this effort.
Government should identify promising researchers and entrepreneurs and provide the financial backing they need to develop their ideas.
Research can produce groundbreaking discoveries that become commercially valuable products and technologies. A single breakthrough could lead to a product worth millions of dollars. Establishing a Nigerian AI institute would provide researchers and innovators with the resources and institutional support to develop new technologies and contribute to the country’s AI ecosystem.
