Medical experts under the West African College of Physicians (WACP) have called on the Federal Government and state governments to adopt sustainable healthcare financing, strengthen medical training infrastructure and invest in affordable digital technologies to improve healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
The call was made on Saturday during a press conference at the end of the 50th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the WACP Nigeria Chapter in Ibadan, Oyo State. The college said stronger investment, improved collaboration and the adoption of digital innovations are critical to building a more resilient and equitable health system.
Chairman of the WACP Nigeria Chapter and Vice President of the college, Prof. Benjamin Uzochukwu, said the resolutions reached at the conference were aimed at strengthening partnerships among medical professionals, government institutions and communities. The meeting, held from July 5 to 11 at the International Conference Centre, Ibadan, was themed, “Building Bridges, Forging Resilience and Partnership in Health.”
According to Uzochukwu, the conference brought together 434 participants, including fellows, resident doctors, researchers, policymakers and public health experts from Nigeria and other West African countries.
He said discussions focused on reimagining medical training, deploying affordable digital technologies to improve patient care and establishing sustainable financing for the healthcare sector.
The college identified persistent challenges within Nigeria’s health system, including gaps between medical disciplines, weak links between policy and implementation, inadequate training infrastructure and disparities in healthcare access between urban and rural communities.
It urged governments at all levels to move beyond temporary interventions by providing sustainable healthcare financing, improving infrastructure, expanding diagnostic and blood transfusion services, ensuring reliable utilities, strengthening the healthcare workforce and promoting equitable access to quality healthcare.
The WACP also recommended that postgraduate medical institutions establish minimum infrastructure standards, strengthen multidisciplinary care, encourage rural medical practice, expand research support, mentorship programmes, diaspora engagement and improve healthcare workforce data systems.
On medical education, the college advocated the adoption of affordable digital tools such as artificial intelligence-assisted tutoring, virtual patient simulations, three-dimensional anatomy platforms, spaced repetition learning tools and e-learning systems to complement clinical training.
The college proposed a three-step implementation model for integrating digital technology into medical education by identifying training gaps, matching them with practical digital solutions and scaling successful interventions.
It further urged the Federal Government to provide dedicated funding for digital medical education infrastructure, establish national standards, create a national consortium on medical education technology and ensure equitable access to digital learning resources across federal, state and private institutions.
The WACP also called for closer collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC) on curriculum development and postgraduate medical training, while appreciating Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Oyo State Ministry of Health and other stakeholders for supporting the successful hosting of the conference.
