Nigeria reaffirms commitment to technology-driven healthcare at Turkey conference

By Kunle Sanni –

The federal government has reiterated its commitment to accelerating digital innovation in healthcare, as the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziq Adekunle Salako, delivered a keynote address at the 2025 HIMSS Eurasia HealthTech Conference & Exhibition in Belek–Antalya, Turkey.

Speaking at the global gathering of health technology leaders on 26 November, Dr. Salako said Nigeria is determined to build a resilient, technology-driven, and people-centred health system in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health sector reform agenda. He praised the Turkish Ministry of Health and the HIMSS Eurasia organising committee for creating a platform that connects international stakeholders advancing digitally enabled healthcare.

The minister noted that conference themes such as digital hospitals, robotics, artificial intelligence, genomics, and data-driven innovation align closely with Nigeria’s priorities under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. He emphasized that with rising population pressures, emerging diseases, and increasing demand for accessible, quality care, transforming healthcare through technology has become essential.

Dr. Salako outlined the Federal Government’s strategic agenda, anchored on better governance, improved service delivery, unlocking the healthcare value chain, and strengthening health security. Central to this, he said, is the integration of digital health tools to enhance service efficiency, public health surveillance, and coordination across the system.

He highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing investments in interoperable health systems, strong data governance structures, and innovations designed to reach rural and underserved communities. He added that Nigeria is expanding collaborations with private-sector innovators, start-ups, and development partners.

A major part of these efforts is the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative (NDHI), through which the country is developing a National Digital Health Architecture aimed at reducing fragmentation and setting unified standards for digital health stakeholders.

According to the minister, foundational infrastructure such as the Health Information Exchange, shared health records, and national registries are also being developed to strengthen identity management, service delivery, and workforce planning.

Describing the HIMSS Eurasia Conference as a strategic platform, Dr. Salako said Nigeria is using the opportunity to deepen international partnerships, engage investors, and explore scalable innovations. He welcomed the strong presence of African countries, noting the continent’s shared commitment to using technology to leapfrog outdated systems.