Stakeholders in the health and technology sectors have called for the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Nigeria’s primary healthcare system to improve service delivery, strengthen disease surveillance, reduce healthcare costs and expand access to quality care.
The call was made during a panel session organised by Artificial Intelligence for Social Impact and Development, themed “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Primary Healthcare in Nigeria.” Participants emphasised that while AI offers significant opportunities for strengthening Primary Health Centres (PHCs), major structural, regulatory and capacity gaps must be addressed to ensure effective adoption.
The stakeholders agreed that while AI holds promise for transforming primary healthcare in Nigeria, success will depend on strong regulation, reliable data systems, infrastructure investment, workforce capacity building and sustained public trust.
Setting the tone for the discussion, Programme Manager at the Nigeria AI Collective, Dr Cornelius Ohonsi, criticised the fragmented approach to AI deployment in the country and stressed the need for integrated systems and clear governance frameworks.
“If we don’t address these issues, no magic will happen in the PHCs,” he said. “We talk about data in silos, and we are not yet there in terms of regulatory frameworks or guiding principles for AI in healthcare.”
Also speaking, Director of Programmes at Nigeria Health Watch, Dr Kemisola Agbaoye, identified poor data quality, infrastructure deficits, limited workforce skills and lack of public trust as major barriers to AI utilisation in healthcare. She noted that functional AI systems cannot exist without reliable and adequate data.
“When I think about primary healthcare workers in rural areas who have little or no understanding of what AI is or how it can support their work, it becomes clear that skills are a major issue,” she said. “When communities are told that their health workers will rely on AI tools, a lot of trust still needs to be built.”
Agbaoye acknowledged the growing number of AI-driven health solutions but questioned Nigeria’s readiness to deploy them at scale. “Many innovations and case studies are emerging, but are we truly ready for AI in healthcare? Not yet. However, we are making progress,” she said.
Founder of Artificial Intelligence for Social Impact and Development, Dr Kunle Kakanfo, said AI presents an opportunity for Nigeria to leapfrog persistent challenges in its healthcare system. He noted that AI is already supporting task-shifting, clinical decision-making and more efficient use of limited health personnel.
“We are seeing AI being used for resource planning, predictive analysis to forecast disease outbreaks and support surveillance,” he said. “AI-powered chatbots are also being deployed for triage, helping patients identify symptoms and supporting health workers to prioritise care.”
Kakanfo added that global trends point to rapid growth in AI adoption, with the AI market projected to reach about $1.3 trillion by 2032. He noted that Nigeria’s health and digital technology market is already valued at over $1.5 billion, indicating strong potential for AI-driven health solutions.
In his remarks, Deputy Director of Global Health Informatics at eHealth Africa (eHA), Abdul Yahaya, said Nigeria currently ranks low on the AI readiness index but is gradually making progress. He urged the government to invest in digital public infrastructure and create an enabling environment for innovation.
“While our scores are still low in areas such as infrastructure, governance, technology and capacity readiness, we are heading in the right direction,” he said. “Initiatives like the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and ongoing infrastructure development will help raise our AI readiness.”
Yahaya stressed that AI could play a critical role in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC), especially given the heavy workload on community health workers. “AI can help scale what already works by replicating effective interventions across thousands or even millions of patients,” he said. “If we ignore AI and technology, meeting UHC targets will be extremely difficult.”
Highlighting the regulatory gap, Country Director of the Palladium Data FI Project, Dr OtseOgorry, said effective governance is essential for responsible AI use in healthcare. He noted that Nigeria currently lacks a national framework dedicated to AI regulation.
“The government needs clear AI regulations,” Ogorry said. “There are global standards, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which could serve as a starting point for Nigeria in developing its own context-specific AI regulatory framework.”
