Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming healthcare delivery through digital innovation with the maiden Lagos Digital Health Innovation Challenge, where health-tech innovators unveiled cutting-edge solutions aimed at improving access, efficiency and quality of healthcare across the state. The event, held on Saturday at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, brought together government officials, innovators, technology experts, development partners and investors to chart a new course for digital healthcare.

Delivering the keynote address, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described the challenge as a demonstration of government’s responsibility to create an enabling environment for innovators to develop practical solutions to healthcare challenges. He commended the ingenuity of young innovators, saying every application presented showed significant potential to improve healthcare delivery in Lagos.

Abayomi said innovations showcased during the competition, including applications focused on emergency care, health insurance, sickle cell disease management, neonatal survival, medication adherence and post-hospital care – aligned with the strategic priorities of the Lagos State Government. “Government only needs to create the enabling environment. Once we make our intentions known, our brilliant innovators take the ideas further by developing practical solutions to real problems,” he said.

The Commissioner recalled how Lagos pioneered home-based management of COVID-19 patients after isolation facilities became overwhelmed during the pandemic, noting that digital technology had already demonstrated its ability to create “hospital beds within communities.” According to him, healthcare delivery is rapidly evolving beyond the traditional hospital setting through biotechnology and digital innovations that enable quality care from patients’ homes.

Abayomi also disclosed that the Lagos State Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP), the state’s flagship digital health initiative, is already about 30 per cent into Phase One implementation across public health institutions and would subsequently be extended to the private sector. He explained that SHIP would synchronise health records, improve healthcare planning, strengthen Artificial Intelligence applications and support predictive healthcare while maintaining the highest standards of cybersecurity and data protection.

He added that the Digital Health Innovation Challenge was conceived to encourage innovators to develop interoperable solutions capable of integrating with SHIP, stressing that the state would continue investing in preventive healthcare, digital transformation and partnerships with the private sector. “This is only the beginning of many more interactions between government and the fintech community interested in healthcare,” the Commissioner said, expressing confidence that the initiative would shape the future of healthcare in Lagos.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Dayo Lajide, described the maiden innovation challenge as a strategic platform designed to connect innovators, healthcare professionals, investors, technology experts and policymakers in developing practical digital solutions for healthcare delivery. She said innovation thrives when ideas are encouraged, supported and transformed into implementable solutions.

Lajide commended all innovators for responding to the Ministry’s call, assuring participants that Lagos State remains committed to creating an enabling environment where research, technology and innovation would contribute meaningfully to better health outcomes. She urged finalists to embrace constructive feedback, refine their ideas and continue developing solutions beyond the competition. She assured that all participants, including those who did not win, would continue to receive mentorship and technical support to further develop their innovations for adoption within the state’s healthcare system.

The Permanent Secretary also appreciated members of the judging panel, partners and organisers for their dedication to the success of the initiative, noting that every great innovation begins with a simple idea nurtured through persistence, collaboration and purpose.

In a goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Tiwalade Adeyinka Sorungbe, emphasised that Information Technology has become indispensable to modern society and urged healthcare professionals to continually build digital competencies. He assured innovators of his ministry’s readiness to provide technical guidance, collaboration opportunities and an enabling environment for transformative ideas to flourish.

Also speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobalaji Ogunlende, the Chief Youth Development Officer, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Patience Okeke, described the challenge as a laudable initiative that empowers young innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers to develop practical healthcare solutions. She reaffirmed government’s commitment to supporting programmes that harness the creativity of young people for sustainable development.

Providing an overview of the initiative, the Head of the Digital Health Unit, Dr. Adebanke Odunsi, explained that the challenge was established after the Ministry observed recurring gaps in many health innovation proposals, particularly around scalability, sustainability and integration into the wider healthcare ecosystem. She said the programme was deliberately designed to go beyond a competition by providing mentorship, partnerships and funding opportunities for participants.

Odunsi disclosed that over 40 applications were received, from which the top 10 finalists were shortlisted following a rigorous assessment process. She stressed that participants who did not emerge winners would continue to receive support from the Ministry to strengthen their innovations and prepare them for future opportunities, adding that the vision was to track their progress and celebrate their impact in subsequent editions.

She noted that the Ministry established the Digital Health Unit to leverage technology in improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Odunsi added that several of the innovations presented at the challenge have the potential to scale and eventually integrate with the Lagos State Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP), further strengthening the state’s digital healthcare ecosystem.

Speaking while announcing the shorlisted top three innovators, the Chief Executive Officer of ABC Health and a member of the judging panel, Dr. Moris Atoki, described the Innovation Challenge as a celebration of creative minds committed to solving healthcare challenges through technology. She commended all participants for the quality, depth and ingenuity of their solutions, noting that every innovation demonstrated strong potential to improve healthcare delivery in Lagos State.

She urged participants to remain resilient regardless of the competition’s outcome, stressing that many of the innovations could be scaled through strategic partnerships. Atoki also disclosed that each innovator had been assigned a mentor to provide guidance and support as they refine their solutions beyond the competition.

Closing the event, the Director, Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, thanked government officials, judges, mentors, partners and innovators for contributing to the success of the maiden edition. She congratulated the winners and expressed optimism that subsequent editions of the Lagos Digital Health Innovation Challenge would be bigger, stronger and more impactful.

At the end of the competition, Warrior AI of LASUTH Ikeja, Pierflow Lens by Pierflow and Emergibridge by Lifeline emerged as the top three shortlisted innovations, highlighting the growing potential of locally developed digital solutions to support Lagos State’s vision of building a smarter, technology-driven healthcare system.

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