Parliamentarians Urged to Champion AI Adoption in West African Healthcare

The 2nd Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament, held in Port Harcourt from September 22–24, spotlighted a defining challenge of the digital age: harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to transform healthcare across West Africa.

Leading the discussion was Theophilus Ukuyoma, co-founder of Goziri Health, who presented a paper titled “AI Deployment in the Health Sector: Enhancing Disease Surveillance, Diagnosis, and Service Delivery.”

Ukuyoma stressed that while AI offers immense potential, its impact depends on political leadership. “Technology alone will not transform healthcare. It takes leadership, policy, and oversight from our parliamentarians,” he told lawmakers.

Parliamentarians were urged to: Develop ethical and regulatory frameworks for AI in health; Safeguard data privacy and patient rights; Harmonize adoption across ECOWAS states to prevent disparities; Allocate sustainable budgets for digital health infrastructure and Learning from Global Best Practices

Ukuyoma pointed to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), where a unique patient number enables secure sharing of medical records across facilities. He challenged ECOWAS lawmakers to envision a similar system tailored for West Africa—one that leverages AI to monitor health trends, manage resources, and respond swiftly to crises.

Without regional coordination, Ukuyoma warned, some countries risk advancing rapidly while others are left behind. “Healthcare is a shared challenge across borders. A virus in one country can reach another in hours. We need a shared response,” he said.

The seminar closed with a strong appeal for political will. “AI in healthcare is about saving lives, protecting our economy, and securing our region. Parliamentarians hold the key to unlocking that future,” Ukuyoma declared.