…AI seen improving diagnoses, outbreak responses, cancer treatment
As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms industries across the globe, experts say Nigeria needs to develop a robust framework that will guide the ethical and responsible integration of the technology into its society and economy.
Health analysts contend that absence of an all-encompassing governance structure poses significant risks to public interests, data security, and long-term innovation, especially in healthcare, education, and innovation.
Ricardo Baptista Leite, president of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and CEO of HealthAI, who currently leads an advocacy to promote the inclusion of ECOWAS countries into the group, said Nigeria is expected to play a pivotal role in global efforts to regulate AI.
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Leite said a framework is important to strengthen regulatory capacities that align with global standards.
He urged the nation to foster regional capabilities for managing AI’s rapid expansion, ensuring its ethical and responsible use to propel sustainable development in sectors such as healthcare, education, and innovation.
“Ultimately, we aim to support governments in their efforts to ensure citizens and patients are kept safe while promoting and harnessing the power of AI to help transform health systems. By doing so, we can help deliver better quality of life and well-being for all, while addressing the ethical and technical challenges AI presents.”
The AI technology “allows computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving tasks,” according to Investopedia. It is believed to hold enormous potential for improving health, including improved diagnosis and clinical care, enhanced research and development, disease surveillance, outbreak response and managing health systems especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Some healthcare facilities use it to provide real-time recommendations, taking the burden off physicians and providing more time for patients.
It helps to expand the power of radiology and medical imaging due to its capacity to access massive records and make massive decisions.
An AI tool is already being tested to screen for cervical cancer in India, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, according to Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general at the World Health Organization (WHO).
AI could also be used to improve detection of tuberculosis, COVID-19 and many other conditions.
The WHO says the use of artificial intelligence can relieve pressure on these health systems challenges by enabling processes to make sense of big data in rapid time, connecting people to critical information, accelerating outcomes and delivering breakthroughs.
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Tech giants like Bill Gates see AI helping to reduce health inequities dominant in poor countries.
The Gates Foundation is now prioritising AI to ensure the tools are used for the health problems that affect the poorest people in the world.
He expects that healthcare workers would maximise their time by having AI handle certain tasks like filing insurance claims, dealing with paperwork, and drafting notes from a doctor’s visit.
In one of his memoirs, Gates said the technology will accelerate the rate of medical breakthroughs.
He stated that more software that can look at data, infer what the pathways are, search for targets on pathogens, and design drugs accordingly are going to spring up, as some companies are working on cancer drugs that were developed this way.
But Leite cautioned that the lack of clear guidelines on data privacy could result in the misuse of patient information, exacerbation of inequality and erosion of public trust.
HealthAI’s toolkit is designed to address these challenges by equipping local regulators with best practices for ethical AI use, safeguarding against unintended consequences while promoting innovation.
The toolkit includes guidance on bias detection, data protection, and transparency measures to ensure that AI serves the public good.
“African countries must be active participants in shaping global AI regulations. If we do not address this gap now, the potential benefits of AI could be overshadowed by risks related to privacy, data misuse, and inequality,” said Leite.
“Nigeria has an opportunity to collaborate with European and other international partners to create resilient regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with public safety.”
Leite’s meetings with ECOWAS and Nigerian leaders highlighted the need for cross-border collaboration and knowledge sharing, especially in aligning African AI policies with those of Europe.
Currently, AI governance across ECOWAS countries is fragmented, with few standardised policies in place to regulate its development and deployment.
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While countries like Nigeria have initiated discussions on data privacy and cybersecurity, there is no comprehensive regional framework that addresses AI’s unique challenges, such as algorithmic transparency, data sovereignty, and cross-border data flows.
These gaps create vulnerabilities, especially in critical sectors like healthcare and education, where unchecked AI systems could lead to privacy breaches, ethical concerns, and uneven access to technology. By developing a unified regulatory approach, ECOWAS can ensure that AI adoption across the region is both innovative and responsible, analysts say.
With the support of Njide Ndili, country director of PharmAccess and founding member of the Digital Transformations for Health Lab, there is a renewed commitment to addressing the critical need for an AI toolkit and awareness training for government agencies in Nigeria.
“Establishing a sound regulatory framework for AI is essential to safeguard our communities as we embrace these technological advancements,” Ndili said.
“It is imperative that we prioritise ethical standards to protect our communities as we integrate AI into health systems.”
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