The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has introduced a new digital gateway for Nigerians to conveniently sign up, manage, and activate their health insurance plans online. Launched on September 3, 2025, during a health financing policy event in Abuja, this platform aims to transform health coverage across the country. The innovative system streamlines the process, eliminating bureaucratic delays that traditionally slowed down enrollment. It supports Nigeria’s ambitious goal of attaining universal health coverage by making insurance plans more accessible. Different access points cater to various user groups on the platform. Those new to NHIA’s schemes can register directly via the internet, while current beneficiaries gain the ability to log in and update their information, review coverage, and monitor benefits. Additionally, special provisions have been implemented for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, enabling them to activate their mandatory insurance coverage online without hassle. Users are welcomed with a user-friendly interface that requires identification through an email address, mobile phone number, or National Identification Number (NIN), accompanied by a password. The portal also includes a recovery option to reset forgotten passwords, ensuring continuous user access. Key features of this digital service include the ability to initiate coverage for newcomers, activate NYSC health plans, and provide account management for existing participants. The NHIA stresses that this one-stop solution eradicates the need for physical visits to agency offices, promoting efficiency and convenience countrywide. This digital approach reduces dependence on traditional physical enrollment methods, which aligned with the National Health Insurance Act of 2022. The portal promises to enhance uptake among younger and underserved demographics, ultimately reducing the current heavy reliance on out-of-pocket health spending that affects more than 70% of Nigerians.
FG launches $11 million rollout of 1,653 solar-powered cold chain units, most allocated to Northwest and Northcentral regions
The Nigerian government has initiated the nationwide deployment of 1,653 solar-powered refrigerators, valued at approximately $11 million, aimed at enhancing vaccine storage and delivery across all states, with the Northwest and Northcentral zones receiving the largest shares. This new program, part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, seeks to improve primary healthcare services by bolstering immunization infrastructure. Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), announced that 448 units will be assigned to the Northwest, while the Northcentral region will get 308 units. The Southwest will receive 343, the South-South 221, the Southeast 205, and the Northeast 128 units. In total, 53% of the equipment will be deployed to northern Nigeria, with the remaining 47% distributed among southern states, ensuring that every state and the Federal Capital Territory benefit from this enhancement. The collection of solar direct drive refrigerators comes complete with spare parts, temperature monitoring devices, and a 10-year maintenance contract to guarantee long-term durability. This deployment, which has already seen 525 units warehoused in Abuja with others being dispatched nationwide, is designed to serve underserved and hard-to-reach communities where reliable electricity is scarce. Dr. Maharajan Muthu, UNICEF’s Chief of Health in Nigeria, stressed the significance of this campaign, describing the cold chain system as the backbone of any effective immunization effort. UNICEF has been instrumental in supporting this project by providing technical expertise in equipment procurement, analytics, and infrastructure strengthening. Muthu noted the necessity for improved asset tracking, maintenance routines, stock management, and sustainable financing to maximize the impact of this project. UNICEF pledges continued collaboration with the Nigerian government to ensure these goals are met while expanding immunization coverage. Representing the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Alex Chimbaru praised the move, stating that this endeavor aligns closely with the global Immunization Agenda 2030. He emphasized how solar technology not only preserves vaccine quality but also promotes environmental sustainability and strengthens the resilience of health systems.
Pharmacy council of Nigeria licenses online drug sellers to tackle fake medicine sales
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has started licensing drug sellers operating on social media and other online platforms to regulate the rising trend of internet-based medicine sales. PCN CEO Ibrahim Ahmed announced this new regulatory move on Wednesday in Abuja. He explained that many people sell medicines online without physical shops, making it difficult to monitor them. The PCN Establishment Act 2022 anticipated this growth and the need for oversight in electronic pharmacy practices. To enforce the rules beyond Nigeria’s borders, PCN has partnered with Interpol. Ahmed said Interpol can shut down illegal websites in 194 countries, helping tackle the cross-border nature of online drug sales. The council has already successfully closed down one such online platform using this international cooperation. Ahmed stressed that IT experts work with PCN inspectors to check the backend of websites for compliance. A pharmacist must supervise and approve the website’s operations before a license is issued. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) supports PCN’s efforts. NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the agency started licensing online drug vendors two years ago. She recalled an instance when NAFDAC used intelligence to track and arrest sellers of fake anti-cancer drugs found online. A new training for NAFDAC staff is planned for September to introduce technology that helps track internet-based drug sales. This coordinated effort between PCN, NAFDAC, and Interpol is a crucial step to protect Nigerians from fake and unsafe medicines sold online. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for health products, these regulations will help ensure that medicines bought online are genuine and safely dispensed.
SORA brings AI drones to accelerate Nigeria’s fight against malaria
Japanese tech firm SORA Technology is set to launch AI-powered drones across Nigeria and 14 other African countries, marking a new chapter in Africa’s fight against malaria. SORA will start rolling out its drones from August 25, to tackle mosquito breeding grounds in high-risk areas. The drones will use cameras powered by artificial intelligence to scan swamps, farms, and riverbanks, spot mosquito habitats, and spray larvicides with precision. The company says this approach could cut chemical use by 70% and halve the costs of fighting malaria on the ground. Africa still faces the worst impact of malaria, accounting for more than 90% of global cases and deaths. Malaria costs African economies about $12 billion every year, with climate change and increasing resistance to older drugs making the problem even tougher. SORA’s promises more targeted action compared to broad chemical spraying, thanks to what is called Larval Source Management (LSM). SORA’s African footprint will grow from 6 to 15 countries. Other countries on the list include Sierra Leone, Ghana, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, DR Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Togo. Each country will be allocated roughly 100 drones. This project brings SORA into direct competition with Zipline Africa, best known for fast delivery of medical supplies by drone in countries like Rwanda and Ghana. SORA’s CEO, Yosuke Kaneko, says the companies have different priorities. “Zipline focuses on emergency deliveries, while SORA’s drones help with mosquito spraying, disease surveillance, and even support for agriculture and logistics,” Kaneko said. SORA’s system uses “imaging AI” to map mosquito breeding sites and “deep learning” to judge which locations are most dangerous. Drones spray larvicides only where the risk is highest, a method already in use in Ghana and Sierra Leone. SORA says this can lower insecticide use by up to 70% and reduce operational costs by about half. The company works side by side with local health ministries, leaders, and residents to make sure the program fits community needs. Founded in 2018, SORA recently raised $4.8 million in seed funding to expand operations, improve prediction tools, and hire talent. It is also preparing to release a new malaria-focused drone in August and is planning to build a drone assembly plant in Africa. By the end of 2025, SORA hopes its technology will help reach at least 100,000 people in Africa. “African governments have always shown interest in drone technology, just lacked the means. That’s the gap we are helping to close,” Kaneko said. Stepping into Nigeria and beyond, SORA signals a fresh push in Africa’s $100 million drone spraying industry.
ABU Zaria lands €5 million EU grant for AI microscope to fight parasitic diseases
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has clinched a €5 million grant from the European Union to develop an artificial intelligence-powered microscope that will help health workers diagnose some of Africa’s toughest parasitic diseases. The funding comes from the EU’s Horizon Europe EDCTP3 programme, one of the continent’s most competitive research grants. ABU’s project, called MultiplexAI, was picked as one of only four winners from 240 proposals submitted from around the world. It’s also the very first time ABU will lead a digital health project funded by the Horizon Europe framework. The MultiplexAI project aims to make it easier to spot deadly diseases like malaria, African trypanosomiasis (also known as sleeping sickness), leishmaniasis, and filariasis. These illnesses are common in Nigeria and hit remote communities the hardest, where basic lab facilities are usually missing. Dr. Gloria Dada Chechet, a respected biochemist and molecular parasitologist at ABU, is the project’s scientific lead. She and her team at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB) will guide the development of this new technology. Dr. Chechet has built a career in tropical disease diagnostics and has earned several international honours for her work in global health and for supporting women in science. What makes the MultiplexAI tool special is its simplicity. It’s designed to work with just a regular microscope, a smartphone and a special app. This means local health workers can check patients for multiple parasites on the spot, no need for expensive, faraway labs. ABU’s Vice-Chancellor and management said the grant is a new benchmark for digital health innovation, not just for the university but for all of Africa. “This project enhances ABU’s global reputation and puts us front and centre in AI-driven health research,” the university stated. ABU’s team will start work on building and testing the AI microscope, which may translate into fewer missed diagnoses and better health for millions. With this setup, rural clinics and community health centres could see big improvements in diagnosing and treating patients faster.
Nigerian startups lead in voice AI to transform healthcare and communication
On a rainy morning in Lagos, healthcare workers at public hospitals are using voice AI to ease their workload for the first time. Instead of writing patient notes by hand, doctors can now speak, and the AI transcribes their medical reports instantly. This breakthrough is thanks to Intron, a Nigerian startup founded by Dr. Tobi Olatunji in 2020. Intron’s voice-based AI understands Nigerian accents and medical terms, helping over 56,000 patients across 30 hospitals in Nigeria and Kenya. It reduces paperwork for doctors, allowing them to focus more on care. At University College Hospital in Ibadan, Intron cut radiology report time from 48 hours to just 20 minutes, a 99.3% reduction. Intron isn’t the only player. Spitch AI, another Lagos startup, launched in late 2024 with a focus on African languages like Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Amharic. Its API tools let companies add voice capabilities to customer service, media, and education platforms without complex machine learning skills. Spitch’s technology is helping Nollywood studios save time and costs by generating synthetic voices for movies. The Nigerian government is also pitching in. The Ministry of Communications is working with Awarri, a local startup developing Nigeria’s first government-backed large language model. This AI model supports five low-resource Nigerian languages and Nigerian-accented English. Awarri’s LangEasy app crowdsources voice data from everyday Nigerians to improve its system. Building AI for Nigeria is tough. The startups face challenges like scarce data, costly computing power, and finding skilled researchers. Dr. Olatunji says running AI models costs tens of thousands of dollars each cycle, and hiring experts is difficult due to competition with global tech giants. Still, these startups rely on strong operations, quality control, and partnerships to overcome obstacles. This new wave of African voice AI is more than tech, it promises to reshape how Nigerians interact with healthcare, legal systems, finance, and media. Intron aims for a future where people can do banking or send money using their own languages, while Spitch plans to enable thousands of developers to build voice tools for Africa’s unique needs. The rise of these homegrown AI innovations shows a shift towards technology that truly understands and serves local realities, bridging gaps left by global models and creating new opportunities across the continent.