The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Lagos State Branch, has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s diagnostic and laboratory health system, demanding stronger funding, local production of diagnostic products, tighter regulation of emerging technologies and expanded specialist training to improve the country’s health outcomes.

The call formed the core of 10 resolutions adopted at the end of the association’s 61st yearly scientific conference in Lagos, where experts identified persistent gaps in diagnostic manufacturing, laboratory accreditation, digital health regulation, genomic surveillance and manpower development as major challenges confronting Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The conference, themed ‘Global Innovation in Laboratory Medicine: Sustaining Global Best Practices for Better Health Outcomes in Nigeria,’ had among the key demands the development of a phased national strategy for local production of diagnostic products, following revelations that Nigeria currently imports between 95 and 99 per cent of its in-vitro diagnostic products.

A communiqué was signed by AMLSN Lagos State Branch Chairman, Kabiawu Adegboyega; Vice Chairman and Conference Planning Committee Chairman, Dr Uba Benjamin; Secretary, Morounke Mannie-Udoh and Publicity Secretary, Adeleke Olaoluwa.

The conference chairman and Managing Director of ISN Medical, Felix Ofungwu, said the level of import dependence has exposed the country to vulnerabilities in the supply of essential diagnostic commodities, even as he underscored the need to build domestic capacity rather than rely overwhelmingly on foreign products.

He called for sustained domestic funding for genomic surveillance, particularly as Nigeria continues to face infectious disease threats and the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

The association further urged the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) and relevant government authorities to strengthen quality governance for point-of-care testing and institutionalise funding for laboratory accreditation, stressing that diagnostic accuracy and reliability are central to effective healthcare delivery.

The conference further identified regulatory gaps created by the rapid growth of digital and artificial intelligence-driven healthcare technologies.

AMLSN called for urgent action to close the regulatory gap surrounding tele-laboratory and digital diagnostic services, noting that Nigeria does not yet have a unified Digital Health Act.

It also demanded the ethical integration of artificial intelligence into laboratory practice, even as the conference demonstrated the potential of the technology to accelerate diagnosis. An AI-assisted diagnostic platform showcased at the event reportedly reduced leukaemia classification time from several days to about two hours.

The association, however, stressed that technological advancement must be matched by appropriate regulation, quality control and a skilled workforce.

To address the manpower gap, the conference called for expanded postgraduate training and mentorship pipelines for Medical Laboratory Scientists.

The need for advanced specialist training received a boost from LASU, with the Dean of its School of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Ibrahim Olateju, announcing the University’s openness to formal engagement with AMLSN towards establishing postgraduate programmes in Medical Laboratory Science.

The association also renewed its opposition to the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (Amendment) Bill, HB 2701, and the Medical and Dental Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, HB 2695, which it said could undermine the statutory independence of MLSCN and Nigeria’s laboratory accreditation standards.

Beyond professional regulation, AMLSN called on the Federal Government to strengthen the security of healthcare workers amid continuing reports of abductions of medical personnel in parts of the country.

It also demanded that diagnostic and laboratory services be explicitly included in the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services funded under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

The association linked the demands to broader public health priorities, including viral hepatitis elimination, disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance response and pandemic preparedness.

The conference noted that Nigeria’s experience with COVID-19 genomic sequencing demonstrated the value of strong laboratory capacity in responding to public health emergencies and called for the gains to be sustained.

The resolutions followed three days of technical discussions on point-of-care testing, artificial intelligence and digital laboratory medicine, local diagnostic manufacturing, genomic surveillance, quality systems, regulation and diagnostic investment.