Healthcare experts have called for urgent action to address the major challenges affecting Nigeria’s healthcare system, warning that persistent gaps in the sector are forcing many Nigerians to rely on self-medication and putting the country’s economic productivity at risk.
The experts spoke at a media training organised by Leadway Assurance for members of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Team Lead, Commercial Business at Leadway Health, Oluwafemi Awoleye, identified poor access to healthcare services, the migration of medical professionals, shortage of healthcare workers, inadequate funding, poor investment in healthcare infrastructure and technology, and challenges with hospital reimbursement as some of the major issues facing the sector.
He also listed delays in claims payments to hospitals and disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain, which often result in shortages of medicines, as additional problems affecting healthcare delivery.
Awoleye urged journalists to highlight these issues through their various media platforms to encourage public discussion and policy reforms.
He warned that failure to address the challenges would threaten both the health of Nigerians and the country’s economic growth.
According to him, the productivity of any economy depends largely on the health of its workforce.
Leadway Health also called on the media to play a more active role in holding policymakers accountable and creating public awareness that could lead to meaningful reforms in the healthcare sector.
The organisation said the media remains an important driver of change by shaping public opinion, influencing government policies and promoting accurate reporting on healthcare issues.
Awoleye said sustained and responsible journalism could expose weaknesses in the healthcare system, promote innovative solutions, encourage stakeholder collaboration and support efforts to build a more accessible and resilient healthcare system.
“The media can inquire about the level of compliance on the ground. Are employers in every state actually enrolling staff, or treating it as paperwork? Where does the money go? How are capitation and fee-for-service increases changing provider behaviour and quality?” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Billsbox Services Limited, Dr Monday Ashibogwu, urged journalists to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly while protecting the credibility of their work.
Speaking on the theme, “Publishing in an Era of Artificial Intelligence,” Ashibogwu described AI as a powerful tool that should be used wisely rather than feared.
“Artificial Intelligence will not replace journalists, but journalists who use Artificial Intelligence will replace those who don’t,” he said.
He noted that AI can improve investigations and increase newsroom productivity but warned journalists to remain cautious when using the technology.
Ashibogwu advised media professionals to guard against AI-generated false information, fabricated quotations, deepfakes, plagiarism, copyright violations, privacy breaches, misinformation and manipulation, which could undermine public trust.
He urged media organisations to develop clear AI policies, train newsroom staff on the responsible use of AI, establish verification procedures, ensure compliance with copyright laws and carefully test AI tools before adopting them widely.
According to him, the future of journalism lies in combining human judgment with artificial intelligence to produce accurate, credible and trustworthy reports.