Doctors call for wider AI adoption and smarter financial planning in Nigeria's health sector
At the Seventh Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the University of Ilorin Medical Class of 2009, doctors across Nigeria, the U.S., the U.K., and beyond pushed for faster adoption of AI in care delivery-and better money habits for clinicians. The event held virtually and focused on practical steps that improve patient outcomes and career stability.
Speakers asked clinicians to embrace innovation, document care more intentionally, and support a stronger health system. They also urged doctors to plan their finances with the same discipline they bring to clinical practice.
Why AI, and why now
According to the World Health Organization, AI can help close critical gaps in care and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals-but policy is lagging behind technology. That tension makes clinical leadership essential today, not later. See WHO's guidance on ethics and governance of AI for health for context and guardrails.
WHO: Ethics and governance of AI for health
Nigeria's data advantage is being left on the table
Delivering the lead scientific presentation, clinical AI specialist Dr. Lawal Lukman said Nigeria sits on a fortune of underused medical data. The country hosts the largest concentration of Black clinical data globally, yet less than five percent of current AI models are trained with it. "This imbalance limits the accuracy and global applicability of AI tools in diagnosing, predicting, and managing diseases within African populations," he said.
He noted that well-curated datasets in cardiology, dermatology, pathology, radiology, and obstetrics and gynaecology could materially improve machine-learning tools. "If Nigeria can structure and secure its clinical data, the world will come here to train their models."
Make your clinical data AI-ready
- Document routine encounters thoroughly and consistently. Use structured fields where possible to reduce ambiguity.
- Standardize key elements (diagnoses, labs, imaging findings) so they're queryable and reusable for research and model development.
- Prioritize specialties with high signal quality-cardiology, dermatology, pathology, radiology, and O&G-when piloting data projects.
- De-identify patient data for secondary use and keep a clear consent and audit trail.
- Pursue collaborations with local and international research partners to validate datasets and share learning.
Privacy, security, and ethics are non-negotiable
Dr. Lukman called for strong data-governance policies, dependable cybersecurity, and strict ethical oversight to protect patients and prevent misuse. Build clear roles, access controls, and incident-response plans before scaling any data initiative. The goal: clinical impact without compromising trust.
Financial wellbeing: treat money like a clinical priority
On financial planning, Value Alliance Asset Management's Managing Director, Mrs. Yvonne Akintomide, urged doctors to be deliberate about long-term stability. Heavy workloads and unpredictable schedules often push money decisions to the back burner-and that has a cost. "Doctors must be intentional about their financial stability. Financial literacy is essential for both personal wellbeing and long-term career sustainability," she said.
- Build a simple, realistic budget and automate savings.
- Use insurance to manage risk across health, life, disability, and practice assets.
- Understand the role and limits of private equity, commercial papers, stocks, bonds, treasury bills, mutual funds, pensions, and trusts.
- Diversify intelligently; avoid concentration in a single asset or scheme.
- Put estate plans in place early and update them as life changes.
Think bigger: collective ventures
Akintomide encouraged the alumni to consider group plays such as forming a Health Maintenance Organization, noting similar successes among medical associations abroad. Collective action can unlock scale, better pricing, and new revenue lines while improving patient access.
From talk to action
Planning Committee Chairman, Dr. Qudus Lawal, challenged participants to convert insights into daily practice-better documentation, safer data practices, and stronger personal finance. Class Chairman, Dr. Tijani Abdulrasheed, praised members for excellence in clinical work, research, leadership, and service, and urged continued support for their alma mater.
Community impact
The AGM featured reports on ongoing philanthropy, including a medical outreach at the Children's Specialist Hospital Centre, Igboro, Ilorin, Kwara State. Hospitalized children received financial and medical support in honor of seven deceased classmates. The class also presented annual scholarships to outstanding medical students at the University of Ilorin and reaffirmed welfare support for the families of departed members.
Next steps for clinicians
- Pick one clinic process to document more cleanly this month and measure the effect on care decisions.
- Form a small data-steward group to define standards, consent, and security for your facility.
- Pilot a narrowly scoped AI-assisted workflow (e.g., imaging triage) with clear metrics and oversight.
- Schedule a 60-minute financial review: update budget, insurance coverage, and investment allocations.
If you're building practical AI skills for clinical and operational use, explore curated training options by role here: Complete AI Training - Courses by Job.
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