Former Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in Ogun State, Dr Kunle Ashimi, has called for the integration of artificial intelligence and telemedicine into healthcare delivery to address Africa’s shortage of medical personnel and improve access to specialist services.
Ashimi said technology could help bridge the gap between patients and qualified medical professionals, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to healthcare remains limited.
He spoke at the weekend in Abeokuta while delivering the keynote address at the grand finale of the Concept Academy Intercollegiate Medical Essay Competition 2026, with the theme "Improving Healthcare in Africa Through Artificial Intelligence and Telemedicine.”
He warned that the shortage of doctors and other healthcare workers had created opportunities for unqualified individuals to pose as medical practitioners, exposing patients to avoidable risks.
“When qualified professionals are unavailable, people may turn to individuals who lack the necessary training and expertise. This shortage creates an environment in which quackery can thrive,” he said.
Ashimi identified predictive triage, remote diagnostics and multilingual artificial intelligence agents as three areas where technology could improve healthcare delivery across Africa.
He explained that AI-powered systems could assess patients’ vital signs, including temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate, to determine the urgency of their conditions and direct them to appropriate specialists.
On telemedicine, he said patients in rural communities could consult specialists in major cities without travelling long distances, with nurses and community health workers facilitating examinations and consultations.
He also called for the development of AI systems capable of communicating in indigenous languages such as Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Swahili to overcome language barriers in healthcare delivery.
Addressing concerns about artificial intelligence replacing medical professionals, Ashimi said the technology should complement doctors rather than render them redundant.
“AI is more likely to replace doctors who refuse to adapt to the use of AI than doctors who understand how to use it effectively,” he said.
He further advocated the integration of electronic medical records into healthcare facilities to enable authorised professionals to access patients’ medical histories and previous test results regardless of their locations.
The former NMA chairman urged African countries to work towards achieving 90 per cent healthcare digitisation by 2035, arguing that geographical location should not determine access to quality medical services.
Earlier, President of The Concept Academy, Dr Festus Babarinde, said the essay competition was established to encourage young medical students to examine healthcare challenges and develop solutions for the sector.
He disclosed that 1,556 applicants participated in the 2026 edition, describing the response as evidence of growing interest among medical students in contributing to healthcare development.
Babarinde said the academy, initially established to prepare young doctors for the United States Medical Licensing Examination, had expanded its vision to encourage young people to apply their knowledge to solving societal problems.
He urged the participants to combine professional excellence with compassion and commitment to underserved communities.
In the competition, Melody Olajide of the University of Ibadan emerged as the winner and received N1m, while Godswill Chidubem came second with N500,000. Aremu Enoch Abidemi placed third and received N250,000.
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