The Federal Government says it plans to provide internet access to 20 million Nigerians by leveraging the capacity of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat).
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed this through Ajala Olubumi, Director of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), at a public–private sector stakeholders’ roundtable hosted by the AI-powered telemedicine platform, MySmartMedic.
The initiative comes weeks after NigComSat announced plans to generate N8 billion in revenue over the next three years by expanding broadband services nationwide.
Connecting Underserved Communities
Olubumi said telemedicine and other digital innovations rely on stable connectivity, yet about 20 million Nigerians still have no internet access.
“For technology like this to truly transform lives, we need connectivity. We’re leveraging NigComSat to beam internet to underserved locations. Nigeria is one of the few West African countries with its own satellite,” he said.
Data Protection in Digital Health
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), urged HMOs and telemedicine platforms to embed data protection into their systems from the design stage.
Represented by Barr. Alexander Onwe, he stressed that digital health tools, telemedicine, electronic medical records, AI diagnostics, and remote monitoring must comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 to safeguard patient privacy.
He highlighted the need for clear user consent, minimal data collection, responsible storage, and NDPC-approved safeguards for any cross-border data transfers involving foreign cloud platforms or specialists.
Telemedicine’s Growing Role
Dr. Chuks Ekweme, Founder of MySmartMedic, said the platform aims to close gaps in healthcare access by enabling remote consultations, especially in a country where one doctor serves about 4,000 patients, far below the WHO’s recommended ratio.
Global trends also support rapid growth in digital health. A 2023 report by Emergen Research projects the global telemedicine market to hit $450 billion by 2032, driven by rising demand for remote care, technological advancements, and wider smartphone use.
Despite the private sector delivering over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s healthcare services, experts warn its reach remains fragmented, reinforcing the need for connectivity-driven solutions like telemedicine to reach rural and low-income communities.
