…stakeholders urge governments to take ownership as Abuja summit charts path to stronger, data-driven healthcare systems

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

Leading health policymakers, government officials, technology innovators and development partners have called for an urgent transition from fragmented digital health pilot projects to large-scale, government-owned solutions capable of transforming healthcare delivery across Nigeria and the African continent.

The call came at the Pre-Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS) Abuja Roundtable, where stakeholders warned that Africa risks losing the gains of digital health innovation if successful projects continue to remain trapped at the pilot stage instead of being integrated into national health systems.

The high-level meeting, convened by Vantage Health Technologies, a member of the BroadReach Group, in partnership with the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), brought together senior representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), development partners, academia, technology firms and healthcare implementers.

Under the theme, “From Pilot to Scale: Shaping the Future of Health Innovation,” participants examined what many described as one of the biggest challenges confronting Africa’s healthcare technology landscape: translating proven digital innovations into sustainable, nationwide health solutions.

Speakers at the event agreed that while Africa has witnessed significant investment and innovation in digital health over the years, many promising interventions have failed to achieve long-term impact due to weak institutional ownership, inadequate financing, poor interoperability and limited integration into routine healthcare systems.

Opening the dialogue, Paul Bhuhi of Vantage Health Technologies said the debate has moved beyond whether technology can improve healthcare outcomes to how governments and stakeholders can sustainably scale innovations that have already demonstrated success.

“Across Africa, we are seeing unprecedented investment in digital health innovation. The challenge before us is no longer whether technology can improve health outcomes, but how to scale proven solutions sustainably,” he said.

According to him, achieving scale requires deliberate planning, strong partnerships, government ownership and the integration of innovation into existing health systems rather than treating digital tools as isolated interventions.

The Federal Government echoed the position, with the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ovuoraye John A., declaring that Nigeria must move beyond repeatedly testing solutions that have already proven effective.

“We have reached the point where we should focus on scaling, not piloting. The solutions have proven themselves, and we should work together to scale them across the country so they become part of routine health system strengthening,” he said.

He added that expanding proven innovations would improve decision-making, enhance programme performance and ensure that more Nigerians benefit from technology-driven healthcare solutions.

Participants unanimously agreed that successful pilot programmes should no longer be viewed as end goals but rather as launchpads for country-led expansion backed by sustainable financing, strong governance frameworks and institutional commitment.

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was that technology alone cannot transform healthcare systems.

Stakeholders stressed that meaningful digital transformation requires government leadership, policy alignment, workforce capacity development, effective data governance, interoperability and long-term funding mechanisms.

Speaking on behalf of NHED, its Country Director, Dr. Emmanuel Sokpo, said digital innovation would only achieve lasting impact when embedded within existing healthcare structures.

“Scaling innovation requires more than technology. It requires strong partnerships, government ownership, quality data and sustained collaboration. Proven digital health solutions must become part of routine health system strengthening if we are to improve health outcomes at scale,” he said.

Similarly, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, Strategic Technical Adviser at NHED, underscored the importance of quality data, interoperability and integrating digital innovations into everyday health system management.

The roundtable also explored the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics in strengthening disease surveillance, improving resource allocation and enhancing programme performance across healthcare systems.

Participants showcased practical examples of digital solutions already delivering measurable results in Nigeria, including AIM250 and NaijPro720, which have improved programme monitoring, increased data visibility and strengthened evidence-based decision-making.

Presenting the NaijPro720 platform, Dr. Dike Kachiside, Senior Technical Specialist at NASCP, described it as a powerful tool that converts routine programme data into actionable intelligence.

“NaijPro720 is helping to transform programme data into actionable intelligence. Rather than simply collecting information, the platform enables programme managers to identify gaps early, analyse programme performance and make evidence-based decisions that improve service delivery at facility, state and national levels,” he said.

The implementation experiences shared at the event reinforced a common conclusion among participants: digital innovations yield the greatest benefits when they are institutionalised, embraced by users and integrated into existing healthcare structures rather than operating as standalone systems.

At the end of the roundtable, stakeholders issued a set of key recommendations aimed at accelerating digital health transformation across Africa.

The recommendations include strengthening government leadership and country ownership of digital health programmes, promoting interoperability among digital platforms, developing sustainable financing models, improving data governance and cybersecurity, investing in workforce development, and fostering stronger collaboration among governments, development partners, academia and technology providers.

Participants also urged policymakers to prioritise innovations capable of delivering measurable improvements in programme performance and population health outcomes.

The stakeholders expressed optimism that stronger collaboration and strategic investments would help build more resilient, responsive and data-driven healthcare systems across Africa.

They noted that the recommendations from the Abuja roundtable are expected to shape deliberations at the forthcoming Africa Digital Health Summit (ADHS) and contribute to broader efforts to expand equitable access to quality healthcare while accelerating the adoption of proven digital health innovations across the continent.