Stakeholders in the health and technology sectors have called on governments and development partners to invest more in digital innovations and strengthen health systems across Africa.

The call was made at the Insights Learning Forum (ILF) 2026, eHealth Africa’s flagship digital health conference in Abuja, which brought together policymakers, healthcare professionals, development partners, technology experts, investors and researchers to explore practical solutions for strengthening healthcare delivery across the continent.

Speaking at the forum, Director of Partnerships and Programmes at eHealth Africa, Ota Akhigbe, said the success of digital health initiatives should no longer be measured by the number of projects launched but by their ability to remain sustainable after implementation.

She urged stakeholders to prioritise institutional ownership, sustainable financing and accountability to ensure digital health interventions continue to deliver value beyond donor funding.

According to her, sustaining digital health systems is a shared responsibility involving governments, development partners, investors, technology companies, implementers and community organisations.

Akhigbe advised participants to focus on practical and achievable commitments rather than ambitious declarations that may not translate into action.

She noted that a single meaningful commitment, whether through a new partnership, financing mechanism or systems integration, would have a greater impact than multiple promises left unfulfilled.

Akhigbe also stressed that partnerships remain central to achieving sustainable healthcare outcomes and urged governments, development partners, academic institutions, communities, women and young people to collaborate to ensure healthcare interventions reach underserved populations.

According to her, the forum would focus on improving data-driven decision-making, promoting interoperability, mobilising investments and ensuring vulnerable communities benefit from quality healthcare services.

The Executive Director of eHealth Africa, Atef Fawaz, said Africa’s healthcare challenges would only be addressed through concrete action rather than endless discussions.

He urged governments, development partners, private organisations and innovators to move beyond meetings and begin implementing measurable commitments that would improve healthcare delivery across the continent.

Fawaz said the forum was established as a regional platform where stakeholders could exchange ideas, identify practical solutions and hold one another accountable for agreed actions. “We need to reduce talking and meetings. We need to set plans, make commitments and act on what we commit to,” he said.

He noted that while similar public-private partnership and health innovation platforms had gained momentum in Kigali and Nairobi, West Africa needed its own platform to drive collaboration, adding that Abuja was well positioned to play that role.

According to him, organisers introduced a commitment session during which partners publicly declared the actions they intend to take, with progress to be reviewed annually.

Fawaz commended the Federal Government for providing policy direction and driving reforms in the health sector, noting that stronger government participation had encouraged more organisations to support healthcare transformation.

Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Immunisation and Disease Control at the Gates Foundation, Yusuf Yusufari, said innovation must move beyond pilot projects and be adapted to the realities of different communities.

“The time for carrying out pilot projects is over. Innovative solutions should respond to specific realities, whether geography, terrain or available resources,” he said.

Yusufari described eHealth Africa as one of the foundation’s long-standing partners, noting that it has supported polio eradication, routine immunisation, maternal and child health, as well as digital healthcare delivery in Northern Nigeria over the past 12 years.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina, said stronger partnerships, technology and quality data would be critical to expanding healthcare services across Nigeria. “We need all hands on deck. We need partnerships with the private sector, innovation and the effective use of technology if we are to achieve the scale we need,” he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr Peter Adigwe, said technology has become a major driver of global economic growth and should be harnessed to transform healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

He disclosed that the Federal Government has established the Office of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics to coordinate stakeholders and accelerate digital health innovation. “Our goal is for Nigeria to emerge as Africa’s leading hub for health technology while providing innovative healthcare solutions for Nigerians,” Adigwe said.