Nigeria Targets ₦500bn Investment to Drive Digital Health Transformation

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to transforming Nigeria’s healthcare system through digital innovation, unveiling plans to attract an estimated ₦500 billion investment over the next five years to expand an integrated national digital health system. The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, during the opening of the 6th Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS 2026) in Abuja on June 25.

Speaking at the summit, Dr. Salako said Nigeria has moved beyond testing digital health solutions through isolated pilot projects and is now focused on scaling integrated systems nationwide. He explained that the National Digital Health Architecture (NDHA), which has been endorsed by all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, will serve as the foundation for harmonising health information systems, improving interoperability and enabling shared electronic health records to enhance patient care, planning and evidence-based decision-making.

The minister highlighted significant progress in the country’s digital health drive, revealing that an assessment of Nigeria’s 79 federal tertiary hospitals showed an average 74.5 percent adoption of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). He also noted that digital logistics platforms have been deployed across all 774 local government areas to strengthen vaccine supply chain management, while states are being encouraged to adopt the NDHA through ongoing primary healthcare reforms.

Despite these gains, Dr. Salako acknowledged that major challenges remain. He disclosed that 43 percent of Primary Healthcare Centres across the country still lack electricity, while approximately 60 percent of rural health facilities have no internet connectivity. He also identified poor interoperability among legacy systems, shortages of skilled digital health professionals and heavy reliance on donor funding as key obstacles to achieving a fully digital healthcare ecosystem.

To bridge these gaps, the minister called on state governments, development partners, private sector stakeholders and technology innovators to align their investments with the National Digital Health Architecture. He also urged the National Pension Commission and Pension Fund Administrators to consider digital health infrastructure as a strategic long-term investment that could improve healthcare efficiency, strengthen health insurance systems and deliver better health outcomes for Nigerians.

Dr. Salako reaffirmed that the Federal Government has already established the necessary policy direction, standards and implementation framework to transition Nigeria’s health sector from fragmented digital initiatives to a unified national platform. He added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare remains committed to working with all stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of secure, interoperable and sustainable digital health solutions that will improve access to quality healthcare and advance Universal Health Coverage across the country.