Nigeria's Government Advances AI Integration in Healthcare

The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the transformation of the healthcare system. This announcement was made by Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, during the AI Health Summit 2026 held in Abuja.

The summit, organized by the Africa Hub for Innovation and Development, focused on "Catalyzing Country AI-in-Health Frameworks for Transformative Healthcare Systems." Salako stated that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prioritized digital transformation within the Renewed Hope Agenda, identifying AI and digital innovation as essential components. He highlighted several policy instruments, including the Nigeria Digital Health Strategy (2021–2025), the Nigeria Digital-in-Health Initiative, and the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy launched in September 2025.

Salako emphasized the potential of AI in various healthcare applications and acknowledged existing challenges such as infrastructure and data governance, which are being addressed through the National Digital Health Architecture. He stressed the importance of governance, ethics, and patient privacy in the integration of AI into healthcare.