A cross-section of panelists at the Insights Learning Forum 2025: L-R: Dr. Gafar Alawode (CEO, DGI Consult), Mr. Oluwaleke Jegede (Principal, SCIDaR), Dr. Amina Mohammed Baloni (Former Commissioner of Health, Kaduna State), Ms. Lauretta Akin-John (Vaccines Program, CHAI Nigeria), Ms. Ota Akhigbe (Director of Partnerships and Programs, eHealth Africa), and Mr. Akinyemi Atobatele (Principal Partner, Africa Hub for Innovation and Development).

In a bid to accelerate Nigeria’s digital health transformation, the Insights Learning Forum 2025 hosted a high-level panel session on “Investing in Health, Investing in Communities – A Multi-Sector Dialogue on Building a Thriving, Locally Driven Digital Health Ecosystem through Investment and Partnerships,” anchored by Dr. David Akpan, Deputy Director, Programs and Partnerships, eHealth Africa. Discussions centred on bridging digital health gaps in underserved communities, establishing a robust governance structure, fostering local investment, ensuring cultural relevance of technology, building capacity, and sustaining partnerships.

The one-day Insights Learning Forum 2025 was held on 30^th July 2025, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, with stakeholders from the public and private sectors of the health and allied industries. The conference aimed to showcase cutting-edge digital health solutions and their impact on public health, address the challenges and opportunities in implementing digital health strategies, foster partnerships that will accelerate the adoption of digital health technologies, and knowledge sharing and collaboration among digital health professionals. Participants at the conference included government stakeholders from the Federal Ministry of Health (SWAp Office), Central Bank of Nigeria, Kano State Ministry of Science and Technology, and representatives of partners, including the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Christian Aid Nigeria, Plan International Nigeria, and Bella Naija.

The panel session brought together key experts, including Dr. Gafar Alawode (CEO, DGI Consult), Ms. Ota Akhigbe (Director of Partnerships and Programs, eHealth Africa), Ms. Lauretta Akin-John (Vaccines Program, CHAI Nigeria), Dr. Amina Mohammed Baloni (Former Commissioner of Health, Kaduna State), Mr. Oluwaleke Jegede (Principal, SCIDaR), and Mr. Akinyemi Atobatele (Principal Partner, Africa Hub for Innovation and Development).

Addressing Gaps in Underserved Communities

Opening the discussion, Dr. Amina Mohammed Baloni highlighted the need for solutions that directly improve the quality of primary healthcare. She underscored the reality that many primary health centres in Nigeria still lack electricity and internet connectivity, making it essential to design offline-capable solutions. She emphasized collaboration between developers, frontline health workers, and communities, with strong government involvement, to ensure solutions are tailored to real needs.

                      Dr. Gafar Alawode (CEO, DGI Consult) contributing during the panel discussion session

Beyond Finance: Building the Right Structures

Contributing to the dialogue, Dr. Gafar Alawode (CEO, DGI Consult) stressed that digital health transformation requires more than funding. He outlined three critical enablers for a sustainable, locally driven digital health ecosystem in Nigeria:

• Institutional Frameworks for Digital Health: He advocated for the establishment of dedicated e-health units within State Ministries of Health (SMOHs), State Primary Health Care Development Agencies (SPHCDAs), and State Social Health Insurance Agencies (SSHIAs), empowered to lead the integration, planning, and financing of digital health, not just as digital tool but, as a strategic instrument to improve efficiency, access, and quality in healthcare delivery.
• Multi-Sectoral Collaboration: Dr. Gafar underscored the need for robust coordination across sectors, particularly with the finance ministries, as well as engagement with the private sector. Such collaboration is essential for unlocking long-term sustainability, driving innovation, and ensuring aligned investments in digital infrastructure.
• Digital Space Optimization: He cautioned against deploying technology without strategic alignment and emphasized “deploying the right solution, solving the right problem at the right place, at the right price,”. He pointed out that without this alignment, technology risks becoming a burden rather than a tool for transformation.

Culturally Sensitive Solutions

Mr. Akinyemi Atobatele emphasized that digital tools must be culturally appropriate and responsive to Nigeria’s diversity. He advocated for creating communities of practice that bring together developers, stakeholders, and local leaders to map challenges and co-design solutions, thereby fostering ownership and early adoption.

Strengthening Partnerships and Trust

Ms. Ota Akhigbe noted that strong partnerships start with a leadership mindset. She stressed the importance of identifying like-minded partners, fostering trust, and committing to long-term collaboration. Leaders, whether from government, donors, or the private sector, must recognize that no one can succeed alone in building digital health systems.

Driving Impact Through Community-Centered Investments

From a supply chain perspective, Ms. Lauretta Akin-John underscored the importance of integrating community realities into digital health strategies. Citing CHAI’s vaccine program and OpenLMIS configuration, she noted that innovations should strengthen existing systems rather than replace them entirely, ensuring vaccines and commodities remain accessible, available, and affordable.

Building Capacity for Sustainability

Mr. Oluwaleke Jegede emphasized that capacity building must be embedded from the start of solution design. He called for continuous skills development for health workers, stressing that tools should be treated as means to an end, with learning and adaptation built into their implementation.

A Call to Collective Action

The session ended with a consensus that locally driven, sustainable digital health transformation requires robust governance structures, domestic investment, cultural sensitivity, ongoing capacity building, and inclusive partnerships. By aligning investments, expertise, and community engagement, Nigeria can accelerate the integration of digital solutions that strengthen healthcare delivery and reach even the most remote communities.