(Ecofin Agency) - • Nigerian authorities plan to connect 7,000 rural community hospitals digitally
• Project supports broader economic strategy to improve access and reduce costs
• Initiative runs alongside telecom tower deployment and ICT integration in schools

The Nigerian authorities have taken steps to integrate digital technology into all economic sectors, especially health and education. However, some rural areas of the country still lack digital connectivity.

The government intends to digitally connect 7,000 hospitals in the country's rural communities. This initiative is being implemented in parallel with the deployment of telecom towers in these communities, which have been poorly, if at all, served by telecom networks. It aims to facilitate the integration of ICT in hospitals.

This project was revealed on Wednesday, May 28, by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, during the connection of a hospital in the Ibwa 2 community, located in Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory. The integration of ICT into schools is also being considered.

Last week, the Nigerian Communications Commission also put into service an electronic healthcare facility at Akure's state specialist hospital in Ondo State. This forms part of the "E-Health" project funded by the Universal Service Provision Fund. According to the fund, the project aims to use ICT to improve access to healthcare, enhance quality, and reduce the cost of providing healthcare services. It states that 33 health centers benefited from this between 2015 and 2021. More recent data is not available.

Turning to digital technology can contribute to the development of the Nigerian healthcare system, according to the United Nations Development Program. A study published by the agency in 2022 claims that digitization will broaden universal health coverage by reducing barriers such as cost, difficult access, or insufficient quality of care. It will also help diversify services, particularly in regions where infrastructure and medical personnel are scarce or non-existent.

Like in many African countries, the Nigerian healthcare sector faces numerous challenges. In a blog post published in March 2025, the Grandville Medical and Laser Center highlighted that healthcare infrastructure remains largely underdeveloped and inadequate for the needs of over 200 million inhabitants. It states that hospitals lack modern equipment, suffer from overcrowding, dilapidated facilities, drug shortages, power outages, and limited access to potable water. In rural areas, the lack of well-equipped hospitals forces patients to travel long distances for treatment. Additional challenges include inadequate funding, a shortage of qualified staff, a high disease burden, and low health insurance coverage.

Despite the potential of digitization to mitigate some of these problems, it's crucial to remember that digitization should be implemented across all health facilities in the country, especially those in rural areas. This also implies reliable internet access, the availability of suitable digital equipment, as well as the strengthening of health workers' digital skills.