Former Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr Kunle Ashimi, has called for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and telemedicine to address healthcare challenges in Africa, particularly the shortage of medical personnel and limited access to specialist services in rural communities.

Ashimi made the call on Saturday in Abeokuta while delivering the keynote address at the grand finale of The Concept Academy Intercollegiate Medical Essay Competition 2026, where he spoke on the theme, “Improving Healthcare in Africa Through Artificial Intelligence and Telemedicine.”

He said Africa, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, was grappling with an inadequate healthcare workforce, noting that the shortage of doctors and other medical professionals had continued to widen the gap between patients and access to quality healthcare.

According to him, the situation had created room for unqualified individuals to pose as medical practitioners, thereby exposing vulnerable patients to avoidable health risks.

He said, “When qualified professionals are unavailable, people may turn to individuals who lack the necessary training and expertise. This shortage creates an environment in which quackery can thrive.

“Technology could, however, help bridge the healthcare gap by strengthening existing medical services rather than replacing healthcare professionals.”

He identified predictive triage, remote diagnostics and multilingual AI agents as three major areas through which artificial intelligence could transform healthcare delivery across the continent.

Explaining predictive triage, he said AI-powered systems could assess patients’ vital signs, including temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, height and weight, to determine the urgency of their medical conditions and direct them to appropriate specialists.

He added that such technology could reduce unnecessary delays in hospitals, improve patient prioritisation and ensure that emergency cases received prompt attention.

On remote diagnostics, Ashimi said telemedicine could enable patients in underserved communities to access specialists in major cities without travelling long distances, adding that nurses and community health workers could facilitate consultations and examinations at the local level.

He also advocated the development of AI systems capable of communicating in indigenous African languages, including Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Swahili, to overcome language barriers that often prevent patients from adequately explaining their health conditions.

Addressing concerns about the possible displacement of medical professionals by artificial intelligence, Ashimi maintained that the technology should complement rather than replace doctors.

“AI is more likely to replace doctors who refuse to adapt to the use of AI than doctors who understand how to use it effectively,” he said.

He further advocated the integration of electronic medical records into healthcare facilities, explaining that digitised patient information would enable authorised medical professionals to access medical histories and previous test results, irrespective of patients’ locations.

Ashimi said Africa should work towards achieving 90 per cent healthcare digitisation by 2035, stressing that geographical location should not determine people’s access to quality medical services.

Earlier, the President of The Concept Academy, Dr Festus Babarinde, said the medical essay competition was established to provide young medical students with an opportunity to examine Nigeria’s healthcare challenges and contribute ideas towards improving the sector.

Babarinde explained that although the academy was initially established to prepare young doctors for the United States Medical Licensing Examination, its broader vision was to create opportunities for young people to deploy their knowledge towards addressing societal challenges.

He said, “When we founded The Concept Academy, our immediate goal was to help young doctors prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Beneath that ambition lay a conviction that still guides us: talent deserves opportunity, and knowledge gains its greatest value when it improves others’ lives.”

He disclosed that 1,556 applicants participated in the 2026 competition, describing the response as an indication of the growing interest among young medical students in contributing to healthcare development.

Babarinde, who reflected on his medical practice in Nigeria and public health studies at Johns Hopkins University, said doctors must understand not only the conditions that bring patients to hospitals but also the circumstances that prevent others from accessing medical attention.

He urged the participants to pursue excellence while maintaining compassion and a commitment to serving vulnerable communities.

In the competition’s final results, Melody Olajide of the University of Ibadan emerged first and received a cash prize of N1m, while Godswill Chidubem came second and received N500,000. Aremu Enoch Abidemi placed third and received N250,000.

Congratulating the finalists, Babarinde urged them to see their achievements as a call to greater responsibility, adding that medical education should extend beyond personal ambition to improving the lives of patients and communities.

Meanwhile, Olajide, the overall winner of the essay competition, described the experience as a “mind-blowing” and rewarding journey, expressing appreciation to the organisers for providing young people with an opportunity to showcase their writing talents.

She said, “From the whole experience, from beginning to end, it was mind-blowing. From the call for applications, we submitted abstracts, we got selected, then we submitted our full essays, we got shortlisted again, and then we were contacted as we went on. From start to finish, and now we are here today, it’s a very wonderful experience, and I really appreciate Concept Academy for this initiative.”