By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to use digital health, artificial intelligence, data and strategic partnerships to improve healthcare delivery and develop the state’s medical innovation ecosystem.
The plan was unveiled during the second day of the Eko Health Convention 2026, held on Friday, August 7, at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.
Health leaders, technology experts, development partners and innovators at the event discussed how digital technologies and partnerships could be applied to improve health outcomes across the state.
Delivering the keynote address, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said digital health should go beyond electronic medical records and applications, arguing that the greater value lies in generating reliable health data for research, precision medicine, innovation and economic development.
Abayomi said the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP) would provide a framework for connecting patient records, investigations and other health information. He said the platform could support the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in research and healthcare planning.
According to him, the state’s digital health strategy is also linked to its plans to develop a bioeconomy involving biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, genomics, artificial intelligence and biosciences.
He said Lagos was investing in infrastructure and human capital to expand healthcare beyond traditional treatment towards areas such as disease prevention, precision medicine and regenerative medicine.
The Commissioner identified the proposed University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Lagos State Medical, Industrial and Innovation Zone (LASMIIZO) at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, SHIP and the Lagos BioShield initiative as some of the projects supporting the strategy.
He said LASMIIZO was expected to bring together medical manufacturing, research, development and healthcare innovation, while the BioShield initiative would strengthen the state’s preparedness for infectious disease threats.
Opening the second day of the convention, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said Lagos’ growing population was increasing pressure on hospitals, primary healthcare centres and emergency services.
She said previous public health emergencies, including the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted challenges created by fragmented health information systems.
Ogunyemi said digital transformation should focus on improving patient care rather than simply introducing new technology. She said SHIP was intended to help move the state from isolated facility records towards a more connected health information system that could support surveillance, trend analysis, resource planning and decision-making.
She also noted that digital platforms, including e-pharmacies, were expanding access to medicines, family planning services and counselling.
Ogunyemi identified the completion of flagship health projects, deeper digital transformation, universal health coverage, and investment in healthcare workers and partnerships as priorities for the next phase of the state’s health reforms.
She stressed that government would need to work with the private sector, technology companies, healthcare professionals, communities and development partners to achieve the objectives.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Adeyinka Shorungbe, said effective information exchange would be critical to the success of digital healthcare.
He called for stronger integration between primary, secondary, tertiary and private healthcare facilities so patients could access their medical information regardless of where they received treatment.
Shorungbe also encouraged healthcare professionals to work with technology developers to identify practical challenges and develop solutions. He highlighted capacity building, cybersecurity, data governance and sustainable partnerships as important components of digital health development.
Chief Executive Officer of Mobihealth International, Dr Funmi Adewara, said Lagos should combine digital healthcare services with physical healthcare facilities, describing the model as “click-and-brick.”
She said telemedicine had demonstrated potential through community, campus and primary healthcare-based services but called for stronger integration with existing systems, including interoperability with SHIP, reimbursement mechanisms under Ilera Eko, improved connectivity and workforce training.
Health Informatics Director of the PHIS3 Project at APIN Public Health Initiatives, Gibril Gomez, said securely captured and connected health information could support both individual patient care and wider public health planning.
He said digital records could help generate information for disease surveillance, resource allocation and evidence-based decision-making.
Meanwhile, Founder of the Africa Hub for Innovation and Development, Dr Kunle Kakanfo, said artificial intelligence could improve clinical productivity and help address healthcare workforce challenges.
However, he warned against uncontrolled use of AI in healthcare, calling for institutional governance structures, proper validation of AI systems, clear accountability and safeguards against algorithmic bias and inaccurate outcomes.
Kakanfo described the unregulated use of AI in clinical settings as “shadow clinical AI” and urged stakeholders to establish appropriate safeguards before deploying such technologies.
At the close of the convention, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, commended the government, health agencies, development partners, sponsors, exhibitors, innovators and media organisations for supporting the two-day event.
She announced that the next edition would be Eko Health Convention 2027.
The discussions at the convention highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing Lagos as it seeks to build a more connected health system, with stakeholders stressing that technology adoption must be matched by investment in infrastructure, healthcare workers, cybersecurity, data governance and sustainable partnerships.
Presenting a session on sustaining health beyond aid, Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Dr Folakemi Basirat Animashaun, said the state had increased domestic ownership of its HIV response following disruptions to international HIV financing from 2025.
She said Lagos had strengthened areas including commodity procurement, treatment continuity, prevention, community engagement and evidence-based resource mobilisation.
According to Animashaun, the funding disruptions created an opportunity for the state to develop a more resilient approach to HIV response and reduce dependence on external financing.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Digital Health Platforms Limited, Femi Olapegba, said the Lagos Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP) was designed to address fragmentation among electronic medical records, laboratory systems, telemedicine platforms and paper-based health records.
He said SHIP was built around the HL7 FHIR interoperability standard and would connect hospitals, laboratories, primary healthcare centres, pharmacies, health maintenance organisations, regulators and patients.
Olapegba said the platform was expected to provide a unified longitudinal health record and generate real-time information that could support government planning and decision-making.
He said SHIP would include features such as the SHIP Care Number, summary care records, electronic referrals, e-prescriptions, emergency access to critical patient information and financial dashboards.
The platform, he added, was also being extended to agencies including the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) and the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board.
At a panel discussion on building sustainable partnerships beyond donor grants, stakeholders said long-term improvements in healthcare would require stronger government ownership, community participation and co-financing.
Dr Temitope Balogun-Alo of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board said the state had established 81 round-the-clock primary healthcare centres through investments in infrastructure and the recruitment of more than 900 healthcare workers.
She said the hub-and-spoke model had strengthened service delivery but noted that further expansion would require additional staffing, security, ambulance services and sustained investment.
Other panellists, including Dr Chizoba Fashanu of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Chairman, Hon. Abdullahi Sesan Olowa, Dr Olaposi Olatoregun of APIN and Dr Ibrahim Dalhatu of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), called for greater local ownership, disability inclusion, improved disease surveillance, community participation and stronger health financing.
The moderator, Dr Noimot Abisola Balogun, said sustainable partnerships should translate into measurable implementation, stressing that access to quality healthcare should be treated as a right rather than a privilege.
Reflecting on the convention, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr Bodunrin Osikomaiya, said the 2026 edition had shifted discussions from individual innovations towards integration and system-wide implementation.
She said digital health and strategic partnerships had emerged as important areas for the next phase of healthcare development in Lagos.
Osikomaiya said lessons from the 2025 convention had contributed to a clearer agenda for the next edition, with priorities including improved interoperability, stronger referral systems, institutionalisation of effective innovations, measurable accountability and greater attention to patients’ experiences.
