Nigeria's Health Minister Unveils Unified Digital Health System

The federal government of Nigeria is advancing towards a unified digital health system to enhance healthcare delivery, as stated by Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, at the 5th Africa HealthTech Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. This initiative aims to eliminate fragmented medical records and improve the use of artificial intelligence across the nation.

Salako emphasized that Nigeria is transitioning from isolated digital health projects to an integrated national system that will enhance service delivery, governance, healthcare financing, and health outcomes. The initiative is part of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, under President Bola Tinubu.

Salako noted that while various digital health applications exist, many operate independently without common standards. The government has developed a National Digital Health Architecture to provide a unified framework, replacing fragmented projects with a secure, interoperable system.

This system will allow medical information to follow patients across facilities, enabling informed clinical decisions and better resource planning.