By CHIDIEBERE NWANKWO
With the commissioning, on Thursday, of the e-Health Project at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria’s telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will continue to propagate the expedited use of information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the country’s health sector.
Speaking at the event, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, noted that the completion of this e-Health Project is a testament to NCC’s commitment to driving innovation, research, and growth in the nation’s digital economy.
He also disclosed that the commissioning attests to collective efforts aimed at harnessing the power of ICT to improve and revolutionise the health sector in Nigeria in a manner that better serves citizens.
Maida further spoke on the two-pronged positive effects of digitalized health sector. “First, ICT can better integrate the health sector into the digital economy to enjoy the ubiquity that other sectors of the economy already benefit from. Secondly, healthy citizens contribute better to the digital economy even as they access care from e-health platforms. We thus enhance the quality of medical services and ensure that services are accessible to all, regardless of geographical location, by integrating advanced ICT solutions into healthcare.
We are hopeful that with its successful take-off, this project will further promote the Commission’s drive to speed up the adoption of ICT in the health sector. The implementation of e-health solutions will streamline medical processes, enhance patient care, and facilitate the efficient management of health records.”
The NCC boss disclosed that with the State Specialist Hospital in Akure now equipped with innovative technology that enables healthcare professionals to deliver timely and accurate diagnoses, treatment plans, and follow-up care, it is expected that these will improve patient satisfaction and positive health outcomes. “This is because the benefits of this project go beyond the hospital walls to the larger community and set a precedent for other healthcare institutions nationwide.”
He affirmed that the Commission is open to collaborations and partnerships that will help sectors ride on ICTs for growth. “The project succeeded because of stakeholders who worked with NCC, including technology experts and the government. “This collaboration has created a model that can be replicated and scaled to other regions, ensuring that the advantages of ICT in healthcare are felt nationwide,” Maida stressed.
Some of the challenges the NCC will tackle in the sector include bridging digital divide, which talks of low adoption of technology in healthcare delivery compared to other sectors; lack of adequate infrastructure, such as power and internet connectivity; Digital Literacy, among others.
The digitisation of Nigeria’s health sector, a key component of the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative (NDHI), aims to revolutionize healthcare through digital technologies like electronic medical records (EMR), a national health information exchange (HIE), and digital health literacy. An initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, aims to improve healthcare delivery, access, and efficiency for all Nigerians.
The Nigerian healthcare sector is undergoing significant digitisation, with projections indicating a substantial increase in revenue and user base in the digital health market. A digitized healthcare will increase patient safety, decrease medical errors, and strengthen interaction between patients and healthcare providers. Using ICT increases provider capabilities and patient access while improving the quality of life for some patients and saving the lives of others.
According to research firm, Statista, the Nigeria digital health market is projected to grow from US$645.36 million in 2025 to US$861.29 million in 2029.
This growth is expected to be driven by an annual growth rate of 7.48% (CAGR 2025-2029).
