As Nigeria’s healthcare sector deepens its adoption of digital systems, information technology expert Obah Edom Tawo has urged policymakers and healthcare institutions to invest more in human capacity development to manage artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven systems responsibly.

Tawo made the call during the release of his new publication, Next Gen Public Health: AI, Big Data, and IT Service Innovation, which explores how AI and big data can strengthen public health management across Africa. The book comes at a time when healthcare providers in Nigeria are grappling with data security challenges and the growing demand for interoperable health systems.

Speaking on the motivation behind the work, Tawo said his focus was to move the healthcare technology conversation in Nigeria “from system acquisition to sustainable human management.”

“The conversation around healthcare technology in Nigeria often focuses on acquiring the latest systems, but we rarely discuss the human capacity needed to manage these systems effectively,” he said. “This book is designed to bridge that gap, providing practical frameworks that healthcare administrators, IT professionals, and policymakers can actually use.”

Tawo, a certified enterprise IT architect with extensive experience implementing digital solutions in healthcare institutions abroad, said the publication draws from practical experience rather than theory. He has worked on projects that reportedly improved data accuracy by up to 40 per cent in major Canadian health institutions.

The book examines how emerging technologies such as predictive analytics and AI can be deployed to improve disease surveillance, patient data security, and governance in healthcare IT systems. It also discusses ethical and regulatory considerations around AI adoption — issues Tawo says are crucial for a country still building trust in digital health systems.

“The world is advancing towards technology adoption balanced with human integration, but many of our healthcare institutions lack professionals who understand how to properly secure patient information while making it accessible to those who need it for care delivery,” he said. “This creates both a security risk and an efficiency problem.”

Healthcare professionals and educators have described the book as a valuable tool for bridging the knowledge gap between technology and medical practice. One reviewer, Dr Bello, said the work “addresses real-world challenges in managing patient data systems” and provides “actionable frameworks for implementation within resource-constrained environments.”

Since its release, academic and medical institutions in Nigeria have begun consulting Tawo on applying the frameworks outlined in the book. Some hospitals are reportedly using it as a reference guide in their IT system upgrade plans.

For Tawo, however, the broader goal is to strengthen Nigeria’s ability to build and sustain its own digital health systems.

“We need to stop depending on foreign consultants to manage our healthcare data,” he said. “This book is one contribution toward building that homegrown expertise.”

As Nigeria accelerates its investment in health infrastructure and data-driven healthcare delivery, Tawo’s work underscores that sustainable progress will depend not only on technology but on the skilled professionals who ensure it serves patients effectively and ethically.