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General News

Alpha Mead to Boost Access to Healthcare with Modular Healthcare Facility

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To accelerate access to quality healthcare for all Nigerians, Alpha Mead Healthcare Management Services, a subsidiary of the Alpha Mead Group will on Wednesday, June 23, launch a state-of-the-art Modular Healthcare Facility (MHF) at the Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos.

“The MHF is a customised, mobility-enhanced, prefabricated portacabin with detachable modules equipped with state-of-the-art clinical and diagnostic equipment that is designed to take quality healthcare services to the doorstep of all Nigerians”, said Femi Akintunde, Group Managing Director, Alpha Mead Group.

Speaking on Wednesday, June 16 at a media interaction ahead of the launch of the MHF, Akintunde, an Engineer, explained that after a successful pilot of the company’s foray into Healthcare at Gbagada General Hospital, and Lagos University Teaching (LUTH), the need to make quality healthcare accessible to more Nigeria became even more pressing.

“So we went back to the drawing board. We noted that some of the issues slowing down the government and private sector programmes in making healthcare accessible for all are; how long it takes to set up a healthcare facility, inadequate amount of healthcare workers, lack of the required equipment and sometimes; even the terrain or location where these healthcare facilities will be constructed”

“To address these issues, we came up with the Modular Healthcare Facility (MHF). The whole idea of the MHF is to aggressively drive the penetration of healthcare facilities in Nigeria by reducing the construction timeline of a healthcare facility to less than 30 days – saving the time lost to design, construction, equipment installation and commissioning of regular brick and mortar healthcare facilities, which sometimes run into years”.

He noted that to address the issue of inadequate medical practitioners, particularly doctors in the rural areas or crisis zones, the MHF was designed to leverage technology to connect patients with medical doctors anywhere through its telemedicine facilities.

According to him, the MHF provides the right healthcare equipment that meets the minimum standard for each class of the healthcare segment – primary, secondary and tertiary and reduces the dependency of the healthcare facility on public utility by running on efficient and clean utility systems such as solar power, bio-digester sewage system, etc.

In his presentation, Kunle Omidiora, Managing Director, Alpha Mead Healthcare & Management Services (AMHS), the subsidiary of Alpha Mead promoting the MHF said the product is coming to bridge the widening gap in access to quality healthcare in Nigeria.

Omidiora commented: “from whatever lens one chooses to view the challenges with the healthcare sector in Nigeria today; whether financial, personnel, equipment, systems or technologies; the biggest challenge with Nigeria’s healthcare sector is that of access to quality healthcare”.

“This challenge is costing our nation a great deal. For example, a USAID report noted that Nigeria shoulders up to 10% of the global disease burden. The report noted further that this situation is caused by lack of access to quality healthcare facilities and workers, particularly in the rural areas”.

He further noted that the challenge can be further put in context when squared against 2019 data from Nigeria Health Facility Register (NHFR).

“According to the report, Nigeria has 40,345 registered hospitals and clinics to serve the 201 million population. This simply implies that one healthcare facility is responsible for an estimated five million Nigerians”, Omidiora explained.

“The problem is even more compounded with data from WHO report revealing that only a quarter of Nigeria’s primary healthcare facilities have more than 25% of the minimum equipment package. One, therefore, does not need to wonder why Nigeria loses over 1 billion dollars to medical tourism, has one of the world highest infant mortality rates, and why prevalence of medical errors in Nigeria is on the rise”.

He explained that this huge gap is what the MHF intends to bridge; noting that the MHF is equipped with Radiology Information System, Picture Archiving Communication System (RISPACS), Enterprise Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Telehealth infrastructure for real-time reporting of investigation and remote consultation.


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General News

NITDA Makes Case for Inclusive Tech for Special Needs

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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has emphasized the importance of developing policies that intentionally include approximately 35 million persons with special needs in digital literacy and technology empowerment initiatives.

NITDA Makes Case for Inclusive Tech for Special Needs

Ms. Grace Jerry, executive director,  Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) and  Malam Kashifu Inuwa, director-general, NITDA.

This was stated by Malam Kashifu Inuwa, director-general, NITDA, in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), a disability advocacy organization led by Ms. Grace Jerry, its executive director.

Inuwa noted that integrating persons with special needs into these programmes supports President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of economic reform and inclusive growth.

“This has brought to my attention the need to be more intentional in the way we design our programmes because there is no way we can achieve 95 per cent digital inclusion if we exclude 35 million Nigerians.”

“The agency has always been conducting targeted training for people with special needs in various parts of the country in the past.

“We will ensure that we expand our initiatives to all parts of country and our office facility have that in consideration but our programmes going forward will reflect this inclusion,” he said.

The Director General recommended including representatives from the disability community in national ICT committees tasked with setting standards, designing training curricula, and shaping policy frameworks.

He emphasized that their participation would ensure adequate representation and facilitate implementation beyond bureaucratic constraints.

He further advocated for the integration of disability-focused initiatives into national programmes such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) tech schemes, women’s training cohorts, and other major technology-driven activities. According to him, these platforms offer vital opportunities for networking, skills development, and enterprise support.

“For us, it’s beyond just training. The real goal is empowerment, how we can train people to use IT to expand their businesses and improve their lives,” Inuwa said.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strategic collaboration and invited disability-focused organisations to partner with NITDA in shaping an inclusive digital economy.

Earlier, Jerry expressed appreciation to the agency for the engagement and highlighted the digital gap within the disability community.

She said the government’s goal of achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 would only be realistic if it was truly inclusive.

“Digital literacy is fast becoming a foundational skill for employment, and without deliberate inclusion, millions will be left behind,” Jerry said.

The meeting highlighted NITDA’s growing commitment to inclusive policy development, aligned with the nation’s economic reform agenda.

 

 


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Interswitch, Bank of Sierra Leone Champion Financial Inclusion @ Sierra Leone Fintech Forum 2.0

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As part of its sustained efforts to accelerate Sierra Leone’s digital finance transformation, Interswitch, one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, in collaboration with the Bank of Sierra Leone (BSL) has successfully hosted the second edition of the Sierra Leone Fintech Forum, bringing together key stakeholders across the financial ecosystem to chart a course toward broader access, inclusion, and growth through digital payments.

The event, which held at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, convened senior representatives from both the public and private sectors, including regulators, banks, fintechs, mobile money operators, and development organisations, for a day of high-level dialogue and engagement.

Building on the success of the inaugural edition, this year’s theme, “Access, Inclusion and Growth – Deepening Digital Payments in Sierra Leone,” reflected a shared commitment to building a more inclusive and resilient financial system through collaboration and innovation.

Delivering the keynote address titled “Building on Progress: Expanding Access, Driving Inclusion, and Fueling Growth for National Prosperity,” Akeem Lawal, Managing Director, Payment Processing and Switching (Interswitch Purepay), reinforced the company’s commitment to co-creating value in the markets it serves.

“Financial inclusion goes beyond launching more apps or issuing more cards, it’s about solving real problems with solutions that are scalable, secure, and grounded in local realities. Since the first edition of the Fintech Forum, Sierra Leone has made clear progress, with strong mobile penetration and a forward-looking Central Bank. What’s needed now is execution that is sustained, coordinated, and responsive to the realities on the ground.

“By applying lessons from multiple African markets and tailoring them to local needs, Interswitch is committed to supporting Sierra Leone’s digital transformation. That means enabling agency networks that function effectively, driving merchant acceptance to reduce cash reliance, and working closely with regulators to co-create policy that drives real progress and inclusive growth.”

In his remarks, Dr. Ibrahim Stevens, Governor, Bank of Sierra Leone, commended Interswitch’s continued investment in the country’s digital transformation journey. He highlighted the Central Bank’s commitment to driving regulatory innovation and building an inclusive ecosystem. He said,

“The Bank of Sierra Leone recognises the critical role of digital financial services in building a more inclusive and resilient economy. Events like the Sierra Leone Fintech Forum, in collaboration with innovators like Interswitch, help accelerate the adoption of technologies that bring more Sierra Leoneans into the formal financial system. We remain committed to creating an enabling regulatory environment that fosters innovation while ensuring consumer protection and financial stability.”

A key highlight of the forum was the live demonstration of Interswitch’s Agency Banking solutions, designed to bridge the gap between traditional banking infrastructure and underserved and remote communities. Attendees experienced firsthand how the platform supports secure, efficient, and accessible financial transactions across Sierra Leone through a decentralised network of agents.

The event featured a series of insightful panel discussions, interactive Question & Answer sessions, and networking opportunities, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across the ecosystem. As mobile connectivity expands and Sierra Leone’s digital agenda accelerates, the forum provided a timely platform to align actors, surface practical solutions, and build collective momentum toward a more inclusive financial system.

The Sierra Leone Fintech Forum reaffirmed Interswitch’s role as a catalyst for digital finance transformation in the region and across the continent. As the financial landscape continues to evolve, the company remains committed to supporting the country’s financial inclusion goals through innovation, shared infrastructure, and strategic partnerships that power a more inclusive, digital and future-ready economy.


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AFC Proffers Action Plans for Nigeria, Africa to Unlock $4trn from Investors to Grow Economy

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Nigeria and other African nations can tap up to $4 trillion in capital from institutional investors, an amount that could be used to fund the continent’s infrastructural gaps and engineer much-needed economic growth, according to the Africa Finance Corporation.

While there are as investable domestic capital across banking assets, institutional funds, and reserves, the multilateral lender revealed on Thursday that funds are still being channeled into “low-risk and short-term instruments instead of being channelled into the real economy.”

“Redirecting more savings into the real economy is critical,” said Rita Babihuga-Nsanze, AFC chief economist and director of strategy, speaking during the AFC’s 2025 State of Africa’s Infrastructure briefing. “Africa must build its intermediation infrastructure to match its development needs.”

Nigeria is however demonstrating how Africa can unlock domestic capital for infrastructure, with its pension fund investments in the sector rising from just $6 million in 2015 to more than $155 million in less than a decade.

This milestone, driven largely by reforms and credit enhancement mechanisms like InfraCredit, underscores the growing role of pensions in financing long-term development on the continent.

Data from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) shows that as of February 2025, Nigeria’s infrastructure-related pension assets had grown to N250.87 billion, representing 1 percent of total assets under management (AUM).

This is a sharp increase from the N1.19 billion recorded in 2015, which stood at just 0.02 percent of AUM.

A turning point came in 2017, with the launch of InfraCredit and Nigeria’s maiden corporate infrastructure bond. The credit guarantee initiative helped de-risk infrastructure projects, attracting conservative institutional investors like pension fund administrators (PFAs).

Chinua Azubike, managing director of InfraCredit said the credit-guarantee institution has helped facilitated bonds to build critical infrastructure, citing the bond raised for the construction of the Lagos Free Zone.

Azubike noted that while perception of risks persists, the company has “zero default rate” despite being involved in well over 12 sectors.

But while Nigeria’s growth is notable, pension allocations across Africa remain largely skewed toward low-risk, short-term instruments such as government securities and money market funds.

In countries like Ghana and Uganda, over 75 percent of pension assets are held in government bonds. Nigeria itself still holds 63 percent of its pension assets in these instruments.

This conservative stance, analysts say, reflects both regulatory caution and the underdevelopment of local capital markets.

In contrast, economies like India and OECD countries show a more balanced allocation, with significant exposure to corporate debt, real estate, and alternative investments. For example, OECD pension funds allocate nearly 20 percent to alternatives, according to AFC data.

To replicate Nigeria’s model, experts are calling for a coordinated effort to deepen capital markets, build risk assessment capacity, and create vehicles that can intermediate long-term finance effectively.

Beyond returns, pension investments in infrastructure have the added benefit of creating jobs, boosting productivity, and supporting economic resilience, critical needs in a post-pandemic, climate-vulnerable Africa.

 


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