By Rasheed Sobowale

A recent peer-reviewed medical study convened by Nigerian epidemiologist, Mr Peter Olaoluwa Adediji, has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s poor use of health data, warning that weak analytics capacity and fragmented health information systems are undermining innovation, planning and effective decision-making in the country’s healthcare sector.

The study, published in an international medical journal, examined how healthcare institutions in Nigeria can harness structured health information and modern data analytics to improve service delivery, guide policy formulation and enhance overall system efficiency.

Drawing from existing research and theoretical frameworks on health data management, the research found that despite the vast volume of health information generated daily across hospitals and public health programmes, Nigeria continues to struggle to convert these data into meaningful insights that can drive reform and innovation.

To unpack why these gaps persists, Adediji led study’s empirical work coordinating the data collection process, hypothesis testing and interpretation of findings. He leveraged his background in epidemiology and disease surveillance to assess how health data are currently managed and used within the system.

The publication noted that while data collection occurs at multiple levels of care, the absence of robust analytical tools and coherent information management structures has limited their value in addressing public health challenges.

According to the study, the weak adoption of data analytics tools remains a major obstacle to evidence-based healthcare in Nigeria.

It observed that health institutions often lack the capacity to analyse trends, evaluate outcomes or anticipate emerging health threats due to inadequate infrastructure, limited technical expertise and poor data governance.

As a result, policy decisions and resource allocation are frequently made without sufficient empirical backing, contributing to inefficiencies across the system.

The research highlighted key data analytics models, including descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, prescriptive and cognitive analytics, as critical to understanding disease patterns, forecasting public health risks and guiding strategic interventions.

It stressed that the effectiveness of these models depends largely on accurate data collection, systematic hypothesis testing and sound interpretation, areas in which the study applied rigorous epidemiological methods to demonstrate their relevance to Nigeria’s healthcare environment.

Beyond analytics, the study underscored health information management as a foundational pillar of healthcare innovation.

It noted that properly managed health records are essential for continuity of care, hospital administration, medical research and legal accountability.

When combined with strong analytical frameworks, the research argued, health information can help decision-makers identify service gaps, optimise resource use and improve patient outcomes across different levels of care.

However, the findings also pointed to persistent structural challenges confronting the country.

These include inadequate funding for digital health initiatives, a shortage of trained data and health information professionals, unstable digital infrastructure and regulatory bottlenecks affecting the adoption of electronic health records and analytics platforms.

The authors warned that without deliberate investment in analytical capacity and workforce development, Nigeria’s healthcare system would continue to grapple with avoidable inefficiencies.

The study’s authors, including Adediji and his co-authors recommended stronger government commitment to data-driven healthcare, calling for expanded training programmes for health information managers, wider deployment of analytics software in health institutions and institutional support for evidence-based decision-making at all levels of the health system.