Nigeria Needs N500bn for Digital Health Investment

The Federal Government of Nigeria announced a need for N500 billion in investment to scale digital health infrastructure nationwide over the next five years. Dr. Iziak Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, made this disclosure during the opening ceremony of the 6th Africa Digital Health Summit in Abuja.

He highlighted that inadequate domestic financing remains a significant obstacle to achieving universal health coverage and sustaining healthcare innovations beyond pilot projects. Salako called on pension fund administrators and private sector investors to support Nigeria's digital health transformation agenda.

He noted that Nigeria has made significant progress in developing a digital health system but requires substantial investment to integrate these efforts into a nationwide platform. The government aims to implement a five-year plan that includes establishing a national health client registry and improving health information systems.

Despite progress, challenges such as fragmented health information systems and inadequate internet connectivity persist.