E-Business
Interswitch Partners Abia to Digitise Public Hospitals
Interswitch, a technology company, through its health-tech subsidiary, Interswitch eClat, has taken a major step in advancing Nigeria’s public-sector health digitisation agenda following the conclusion of a high-level stakeholders’ engagement with the Abia State Government.
The engagement took place ahead of the phased deployment of eClinic, Interswitch eClat’s Electronic Medical Records platform, across public health facilities in the state, the firm stated in a statement on Friday.
The engagement, convened by the Abia State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Interswitch and held at the State’s Ministry of Health in Umuahia, brought together senior government officials, health administrators, Interswitch representatives, and key ecosystem stakeholders to align on the scope, implementation framework, and expected outcomes of the proposed eClinic deployment.
The initiative reflects a shared commitment to leveraging digital infrastructure to improve healthcare delivery, operational efficiency, and patient outcomes across Abia State’s public health system.
Discussions focused on deploying Interswitch’s eClinic solution in alignment with Abia State’s broader healthcare reform agenda under the current administration, particularly the transition from fragmented, paper-based systems to secure, interoperable digital platforms across public health facilities.
The proposed kick-off phase will span six public health facilities, including three primary healthcare centres, two secondary facilities, and one tertiary hospital, creating an end-to-end digital care pathway that strengthens patient referrals, supports continuity of care, and enables data-driven decision-making across all levels of service delivery.
The EMR solution is built to reduce patient waiting times, strengthen referral processes, and ensure the secure handling of both clinical and administrative data, supported by a hybrid infrastructure that enables local hosting with cloud-based backup.
Speaking at the engagement, Prof Enoch Uche, the Commissioner for Health, Abia State, described the initiative as a major milestone in the state’s healthcare transformation journey and highlighted the importance of private-sector collaboration in achieving sustainable impact.
“The Ministry of Health in Abia State is excited about the digitisation of health facilities, starting with Interswitch’s eClinic pilot phase involving three primary, two secondary, and one tertiary health centre. This initiative will enhance efficiency, accountability, and patient care by linking records across different levels of care.
“Global evidence shows that digital health improves access, reduces the cost of care, and maximises human resources while personalising services for our people. This partnership with Interswitch represents a key deliverable for this administration and aligns with the Governor’s vision for a modern, technology-driven health system,” he said.
During technical sessions led by Babatunde Fadeyi, Vice President, Health Ecosystem (Public Sector), Interswitch, stakeholders were taken through the core capabilities of Interswitch’s eClinic platform.
These include secure patient record management, ICD-11–compliant diagnosis coding, controlled data update protocols, and integrated billing and reporting tools designed to improve efficiency and accountability across health facilities.
Stakeholders were also briefed on the platform’s governance framework, risk mitigation approach, and phased implementation roadmap. Commenting on the engagement, Fadeyi reaffirmed Interswitch’s commitment to delivering measurable impact through technology-enabled healthcare systems.
“Abia State has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation and system reform. The alignment of the state’s healthcare priorities with national health digitisation objectives creates a solid foundation for meaningful progress. Interswitch’s eClinic platform is designed to improve hospital operations by automating workflows, securing patient data, and providing healthcare managers with reliable insights to guide decisions.
“Beyond improving patient experience, it supports stronger revenue tracking, operational efficiency, and accountability. Our focus is to ensure the success of this pilot phase and deliver tangible improvements across productivity, service delivery, and patient satisfaction,” he said.
Also speaking at the engagement, Dr Ifeyinwa Blossom Uma-Kalu, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Abia State, highlighted the operational and clinical value of Interswitch’s eClinic initiative, particularly in strengthening referrals, improving revenue management, and expanding access to specialist care.
“This digitisation initiative will help us track our finances and internally generated revenue more accurately while reducing leakages. More importantly, it strengthens our referral system by allowing patient records to move seamlessly from primary to secondary and tertiary care.
“With a digital framework, healthcare workers in remote communities can access specialist support through telemedicine, helping to save lives and improve outcomes. This is a critical tool in our efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and we are eager to see the outcomes of Interswitch’s eClinic,” she noted.
The engagement also addressed key success factors for the project, including power stability, user training, change management, and inter-agency collaboration, with both parties emphasising sustainability and scalability as the project progresses.
Federal government has inaugurated the Electronic Pharmacy Regulation Platform (E-Pharmacy) to enhance the safety of online healthcare services.
Pic credit….healthreporters.info
The platform, championed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), is designed to regulate digital pharmaceutical services and improve public health outcomes.
Inaugurating the platform, Prof. Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, said the initiative signified Nigeria’s commitment to building a world-class regulatory environment.
Pate noted that pharmacy regulation had faced significant challenges for over three decades but expressed optimism that the new platform would strengthen oversight and accountability.
He said the initiative would enable evidence-based monitoring of pharmaceutical practices while supporting innovation and investment in the health sector.
“This launch is a testament to our collective commitment to advancing technology in the service of health, safety and human dignity.
“It is a decisive step to ensure that pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria aligns with national and global health priorities, reflecting the realities of the 21st century.
“It enables the country to adopt evidence-based approaches to monitoring and protecting public health while supporting innovation and investment,” he said.
The minister added that the platform would help establish a safe, accessible and well-regulated national e-pharmacy ecosystem driven by digital technology.
Earlier, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed, registrar/chief executive officer of PCN, said the need to regulate online pharmacy operations became more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ahmed said the pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital tools and e-commerce in healthcare, exposing longstanding inefficiencies in pharmaceutical supply chains, particularly in Africa and Nigeria.
“This has led to the increasing adoption of digitised distribution of essential medicines through cost-effective and technology-enabled models.
“For decades, PCN has regulated pharmacy education, training, practice and business in Nigeria. However, as the world shifts towards digital solutions, access to medicines has evolved.
“The Electronic Pharmacy Regulations 2026 provide a comprehensive legal and technical framework for the registration, licensing, operation and oversight of digital pharmaceutical services,” he said.
He added that the framework would ensure that ethical standards and patient safety are not compromised in the delivery of online pharmaceutical services.
Olugbenga Agboola, CEO, Flutterwave, has announced plans to establish Anambra State as the company’s hub for Nigeria’s South East, leveraging a fresh banking license from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to boost local fintech and businesses.
Flutterwave
Agboola made the disclosure yesterday in Awka during a meeting with Anambra tech community leaders, hosted alongside Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, CEO, Stanel Group and proprietor, Delborough Hotel.
He highlighted Flutterwave’s status as Africa’s leading payment system, born in Nigeria, with infrastructure powering companies nationwide.
“We want Anambra to be our hub for the entire South East,” Agboola said. “We’ll deploy our systems, fees, infrastructure, and POS terminals to every small business and large firm here, making our services the top consumer choice.”
Agboola pledged a massive impact program for Anambra entrepreneurs to foster global platforms from the state, enabled by the new license for faster growth.
For a decade, Flutterwave has facilitated payments, but now aims to empower South East businesses through partnerships, POS access, loans, and value for SMEs.
“We’re partnering on a huge impact program launching soon—impacting the tech community with technology, financing, and lending to create more millionaires from this city,” he added.
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), in collaboration with the Africa Carbon Management Technology & Innovation (ACMTI) and the Clean Energy Ministerial Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Initiative (CEM-CCUS), has launched a Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Initiative Platform in Nigeria.
Speaking at the launch in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Prof. Innocent Barikor, the Director-General of NESREA, described the project as a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and industrial transformation.
Barikor explained that the CCUS solution provides an economically viable pathway for industrial decarbonisation by enabling the capture, storage, and utilisation of carbon in sectors such as beverage production, cement manufacturing, chemicals and fuels, enhanced oil recovery, and agriculture.
“We need to reduce carbon in the atmosphere to acceptable levels. Its utilisation offers opportunities to capture and store carbon and deploy it for industrial purposes. We are building a circular economy—turning environmental challenges into economic opportunities in line with regulatory provisions,” he said.
He noted that the CCUS Platform is a collaborative ecosystem designed to bring together key stakeholders, including government institutions, industry leaders, academia, technology developers, development partners, and investors.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NESREA for the initiative, describing it as a practical mechanism for coordination, innovation, and action toward Nigeria’s 2035 climate targets and broader energy transition goals.
He added that the university is well-positioned to host the CCUS initiative, noting that its Energy Technology Institute has developed credible expertise in energy transition-related fields critical to the success of CCUS in Nigeria.
On his part, the Coordinator of ACMTI and Facilitator of the Carbon Technology Innovation Platform (CTIP), Dr. Richard Victor Osu, said the vision is to position Nigeria as a regional leader in carbon management technologies while contributing meaningfully to Africa’s climate commitments and global decarbonisation efforts.
Osu explained that Port Harcourt was selected due to its potential as a CCUS hub, adding that the platform will focus on advancing research and innovation, building technical capacity, promoting public-private partnerships, attracting investment, and fostering collaboration with international research and technology partners.
Juho Lipponen of the CEM-CCUS Initiative assured that the organisation would support Nigeria in prioritising CCUS in clean energy discussions, strengthening carbon management deployment programmes, boosting partnerships, facilitating financing solutions, and promoting positive narratives around carbon utilisation.
The event attracted participants from the United States, France, Brazil, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, who shared insights on the initiative.
Also in attendance were representatives of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, as well as private sector stakeholders and development partners.
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