Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziak Adekunle Salako. Credit: Facebook.
Digital Health Services Bill would establish a comprehensive framework for regulating the sector when enacted.
The Federal Government has commenced engagement with telecommunications companies to secure their support in expanding digital health services and improving healthcare access, especially in underserved communities.
Already, telecom firms including Airtel, ipNX, NIGCOMSAT, INQ Digital and other industry players have committed to providing geo-coordinates of telecommunications infrastructure, capability assessments and fibre optic cable information to support the implementation of digital health initiatives across the country.
Minister of State for Health, Dr Adekunle Salako, disclosed this at the 6th Africa Digital Health Summit in Abuja, noting that digital health provides the foundation for building resilient, equitable and people-centred healthcare systems in Nigeria and across Africa.
He said the government is strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for digital health, adding that the Digital Health Services Bill, when enacted, would establish a comprehensive framework for regulating the sector.
According to him, provisions for mandatory licensing of digital health service providers and interoperability requirements are already receiving legislative attention, with the bill receiving its first reading at the House of Representatives in March 2025.
Salako urged the National Assembly to accelerate consideration of the bill and other legislative measures needed to support the government’s vision of making digitalisation a cornerstone of healthcare delivery.
He, however, identified major infrastructure and workforce gaps that could slow progress, noting that Nigeria faces shortages in the number, skills and career development of digital health professionals.
The minister said government assessment of the health information and communication technology workforce revealed low levels of ICT knowledge among many healthcare workers, with more than 50 per cent deficiency recorded in several knowledge areas, alongside significant urban-rural disparities.
He stressed the need to develop and sustain a workforce capable of designing, implementing and maintaining digital health systems, noting that “technology is only as strong as the people who use it.”
Salako also highlighted the challenge of poor infrastructure, revealing that about 43 per cent of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in the country lack electricity, while many of those with power supply receive an average of five hours daily.
He added that about 60 per cent of rural communities lack internet connectivity, warning that digital health cannot reach vulnerable populations without reliable power and broadband access.
“We have made progress through initiatives like the rural electrification projects now being institutionalised through the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative and the Nigeria Broadband Plan, but the gap remains substantial,” he said.
“Connectivity must be treated as a fundamental right for healthcare delivery, not a luxury.”
The minister also emphasised the importance of interoperability among digital health platforms, warning that fragmented systems weaken healthcare delivery.
“Without interoperability, digital health solutions remain islands of excellence in a sea of fragmentation,” he said, stressing the need for a national health information exchange supported by a terminology server to ensure that health data is meaningful, coordinated and not duplicated.
Salako said digital health is no longer merely a technological convenience but a critical tool for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He noted that the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 provides protection for personal health information, adding that healthcare stakeholders are now classified as data controllers of major importance and must comply with strict data protection requirements.
The minister disclosed that the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Federal Government and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria have committed to digitising 20 per cent of primary healthcare centres annually from 2026.
He added that the NPHCDA is leading the development of a unified Electronic Community Health Information System for community health workers. Under the HOPE Primary Healthcare Programme, Salako said $525 million has been committed to strengthening primary healthcare, with digital health as a major component.
He explained that funding under the programme is linked to an indicator that encourages states to adopt the National Digital Health Architecture and integrate key healthcare functions.
The minister, however, warned that Nigeria must address the challenge of multiple health information systems operated by different programmes and development partners, which often operate independently and fail to share data.
He listed the National Data Repository, LAMISPlus, VIVA EMR, NigeriaMRS and DHIS2 registers among systems that currently use different patient identifiers and facility lists.
According to him, the lack of integration prevents continuity of care, encourages duplication of efforts and limits evidence-based decision-making. “Without a unified approach, we cannot achieve the vision of one patient, one health record,” he said.
Salako further noted that Nigeria’s digital health ecosystem has depended heavily on donor funding, with many investments failing to move beyond pilot stages.
He said transitioning to domestically financed and sustainable digital health systems remains a collective challenge, adding that existing funding mechanisms, including the HOPE PHC Programme and Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, are insufficient to meet the scale of nationwide digitisation. “We need innovative financing mechanisms and strong public-private partnerships,” he said.
