Federal Government and health stakeholders unite to scale telehealth across Nigeria, moving digital healthcare from policy frameworks and pilot projects to wider implementation improving access and advancing Universal Health Coverage nationwide.
They made the commitment at the Nigerian Telehealth Conference 2.0 organised by Mobihealth International on Tuesday in Abuja, themed ‘The Future of Healthcare is Connected: Click and Brick’ for stakeholders nationwide.
Dr Salma Ibrahim-Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, emphasised that telehealth was critical to transforming Nigeria’s health sector and expanding equitable access for all citizens.
Ibrahim-Anas said the future of healthcare lied in integrating digital technology with professional expertise and physical health facilities to deliver connected, accessible, affordable quality services for citizens nationwide.
“The future of healthcare is connected, click and brick,” she said, describing integration of digital convenience with physical infrastructure for accessible, affordable, quality healthcare delivery.
“It captures an essential truth, the future of healthcare lies in combining reach and convenience of digital technology with human touch, professional expertise, and physical infrastructure of health facilities,” she said.
She emphasised that President Bola Tinubu was pursuing an agenda focused on strengthening health systems, expanding access to essential services, improving healthcare financing, revitalising primary healthcare and advancing UHC nationwide.
Ibrahim-Anas said the government’s ambition was to ensure that access to quality healthcare depended less on geographical location and more on healthcare needs of individuals across Nigeria today always effectively nationwide.
“As we work towards nationwide implementation of telemedicine, we must address practical foundations: reliable electricity, connectivity, sustainable financing, regulation, interoperability of health systems, data privacy, and cybersecurity,” she said.
She explained that telemedicine could support pregnant women, mothers and patients in remote communities by connecting them with healthcare professionals, specialists and referral services for timely quality care nationwide.
She however cautioned that telehealth must not be viewed as replacement for healthcare workers, diagnostics, essential medicines and emergency services needed for effective quality patient care delivery.
“Telehealth is not simply about deployment; it is not a replacement for our competent health workers,” she said, emphasising human expertise remained central to quality healthcare delivery.
She emphasised that while technology was important, healthcare delivery must retain compassion, empathy and professional judgment to ensure patient-centred quality services across Nigeria for all citizens.
“As health professionals, we have to have that human touch to it,” Ibrahim-Anas said, urging compassion, empathy and professionalism in delivering connected digital health services nationwide for citizens.
She also called for inclusive digital health services that would benefit rural communities, women, persons with disabilities, elderly people and Nigerians with limited digital literacy nationwide.
Ibrahim-Anas urged stakeholders to measure success of digital health initiatives by impact on people’s lives rather than number of platforms created, emphasising outcomes, equity and accessibility for citizens.
“Our progress must be measured by outcomes rather than by the number of platforms inaugurated,” she said, urging stakeholders to prioritise impact, accessibility and equity over mere technological expansion.
Earlier, Dr Funmi Adewara, Founder and CEO, Mobihealth International, said the conference brought together public and private sector stakeholders to develop strategies for moving telemedicine beyond pilots to national implementation nationwide.
Adewara said Nigeria was at a critical point, with policy frameworks, legislative efforts and national guidelines aligning to support expansion of digital healthcare and telemedicine services across the country.
She said that validation of Nigeria’s first national telemedicine guideline was major milestone towards expanding access to remote healthcare services for underserved populations across the country.
“Technology can help us to collapse the distance between a doctor and a patient, regardless of their geography,” Adewara said, highlighting potential of digital health to expand equitable access nationwide.
She said partnerships with government institutions, including Federal Ministry of Health and National Health Insurance Authority, were important to integrate telemedicine into health system and reduce financial barriers for citizens.
Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary, FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, said involvement of regulators, lawmakers, officials and private sector players was essential to developing sustainable telemedicine system.
Fasawe said Nigeria needed a framework that would guide digital health practice while ensuring accountability and accessibility for citizens seeking quality affordable healthcare services through telemedicine platforms nationwide.
“We do not have enough healthcare professionals. However, when we are talking to patients through telemedicine, health is more accessible, more affordable, and we cut out travel time,” she said.
She added that government could not achieve digital health transformation alone, emphasising need for partnerships and stakeholder collaboration to drive sustainable innovation, equity and access nationwide.
Prof. Fatima Kyari, Registrar and CEO, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, said regulation remained critical to ensuring patient safety and maintaining professional standards in telemedicine practice.
Kyari said the council was committed to developing a system where healthcare professionals remained accountable while technology improved service delivery and expanded access to quality healthcare.
“Let us ensure that the future of telemedicine is not merely technological advancement, but professionally responsible and ethically grounded,” she said, calling for accountability, safety and professional integrity nationwide.
Dr Oyebanji Filani, Chairperson, Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum and Ekiti Commissioner for Health, said technology could transform healthcare delivery but must not weaken accountability and professional standards nationwide.
“Telemedicine is not medicine without accountability. It is proper medicine delivered through another channel,” Filani said, emphasising responsible practice, regulation and patient safety in digital health delivery nationwide.
Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, Managing Director and CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, said expanding digital health services to underserved communities was one key benefit of technology for equitable healthcare.
She said stronger collaboration among stakeholders would help take digital healthcare services to communities across Nigeria, improving access, affordability and outcomes for citizens nationwide.
Stakeholders expressed strong optimism that recommendations from the conference would support practical implementation of telehealth and contribute significantly to improved healthcare access and outcomes nationwide.(NAN)
