The Nigerian medical industry requires a reliable backbone infrastructure to successfully adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) in clinical practice—without the need for importing foreign talent, the Group Managing Director of ipNX Nigeria, Mr. Ejovi Aror, has said.

Aror said this at the inaugural Nigeria AI Forum for Medical Directors (NAIFMED) Workshop, hosted recently by the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) ICT-Driven Knowledge Park.

Themed: ‘Transforming Healthcare: AI-Driven Solutions for Nigeria’s Medical Future’, the event brought together top clinicians, medical researchers, directors from Nigeria’s tertiary health institutions, speakers from across Africa, as well as practitioners, stakeholders, and ICT industry players. The workshop also witnessed the induction of the Nigerian Healthcare AI Implementation Special Aid Group (NHAISIG).

Aror spoke on a panel session themed: ‘AI and Robotics in Clinical Practice’,  alongside thought leaders in medical AI research, such as Professor Olusegun Alatisegun of OAU and Professor Philip Ogunbona from the University of Wollongong, Australia, where he drew parallels between the current opportunities for AI in medicine and the early days of the Nigerian banking industry, particularly the creation of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).

“There was no infrastructure when we began building NIBSS, but we crafted solutions to address the challenge. I am confident we can do the same for AI adoption in medical practice in Nigeria,” he stated.