Health technology in Nigeria: What are Nigerian startups working on?

Abstract

Nigeria's healthcare system continues to face significant challenges, including limited access to quality care, insufficient infrastructure, and underfunded institutions. In response, health technology startups have emerged as innovative players, offering scalable, sustainable, and impactful solutions to address these systemic barriers. This commentary explores the diverse operational models-Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Business-to-Business (B2B), and Business-to-Government (B2G)-adopted by Nigerian health technology startups and evaluates their contributions to improving healthcare access, delivery, and efficiency. Through the use of telemedicine, digital diagnostics, electronic medical records, supply chain innovations, and mobile surveillance tools, these startups are filling critical gaps in the health system. However, the sector continues to grapple with regulatory uncertainty, infrastructure deficiencies, and data privacy concerns. By analyzing case studies such as Helium Health, LifeBank, Clafiya, and Wellvis, this paper highlights the current impact and future potential of digital health solutions in Nigeria. It concludes with strategic recommendations for policy reform, infrastructure investment, and stakeholder collaboration to support the sustainable growth of health technology in the country.