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.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to building a responsible, inclusive, and sovereign artificial intelligence ecosystem to enable Nigeria to transition from being a passive consumer of AI technologies to an architect and builder of indigenous AI systems.

This was said by the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, while delivering a virtual address at the InnovateAI Conference held in Lagos.

The conference brought together policymakers, technology leaders, innovators, and stakeholders to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and its role in driving Nigeria’s digital economy and national development agenda.

Inuwa outlined Nigeria’s ambition to transition from being a consumer of artificial intelligence technologies to becoming a builder and owner of AI systems that reflect national values and priorities, in line with the National AI Strategy.

“Our goal is not just to use AI, but to architect and build our own AI systems in Nigeria,” he said, stressing that the country must take ownership of its AI future.

He noted that Nigeria’s approach to artificial intelligence extends beyond innovation to include governance, infrastructure, data sovereignty, and policy evolution.

According to him, “Responsible AI is never a finished job; it is an iterative journey. Our policies must evolve as the technology evolves, and we must avoid frozen laws by adopting living policies that adapt over time.”

He cited the implementation of the Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill as a key mechanism for generating insights that will help refine AI regulations and governance frameworks.

Inuwa also highlighted the challenge of data representation in global AI systems, noting that most models are trained on non-African datasets, which often results in bias against local dialects, cultures, and demographics.

“If a model shows bias against a local dialect or demographic, we cannot just patch it. We must reinvest in infrastructure to retrain it with inclusive and representative local datasets,” he stated.

He added that building national AI infrastructure is critical to achieving data sovereignty and ensuring that Nigeria is not merely an end user of foreign AI systems.

He further called for strategic partnerships with global technology companies and hyperscalers to build AI infrastructure in Nigeria while aligning with local values and national priorities.

“The world today is a global village. We need to work with global players, but they must understand our local nuances and help us build the infrastructure to retrain and develop AI models that reflect our context,” he said.

The NITDA Director General explained that adopting a comprehensive AI lifecycle approach, from responsible data collection and governance to deployment and continuous feedback, will enable Nigeria to move from reacting to AI developments to proactively designing indigenous AI systems.

“Without understanding how AI models are trained, how decisions are made, and how models are retrained, it will be difficult to build a responsible and trustworthy AI system,” he warned.

He reaffirmed that the Federal Government is intentional about promoting responsible AI and is working closely with the technology ecosystem to co-design national AI guardrails. He described platforms such as the InnovateAI Conference and other national AI dialogues as critical to shaping Nigeria’s AI future.

Mutual Benefits Assurance, a leading Nigerian insurance company, has paid a total of ₦5,937,665,353.57 in claims to policyholders in January 2026 alone, underlining its strong financial capacity and unwavering commitment to prompt claims settlement.

Mutual Benefits Assurance

A breakdown of the figures shows that ₦3,426,602,834.28 was paid under its General (Non-Life) Insurance portfolio, while ₦2,511,062,519.29 was paid across its Life businesses, including Group Life and Retail Life policies.

The significant payout within a single month reinforces Mutual Benefits’ reputation as a dependable insurer that honors its obligations swiftly and responsibly.

Commenting on the development, Olufemi Asenuga, Managing Director, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc stated that claims settlement remains the core promise of insurance and the ultimate test of an insurer’s credibility.

“Insurance is built on trust. Our ability to settle over ₦5.9 billion in claims in one month demonstrates not only our financial strength, but also our deep commitment to our policyholders. At Mutual Benefits, we do not just sell policies. We stand by our promises,” he said.

With over three decades of operations, Mutual Benefits has consistently positioned itself as a strong and well-capitalised insurer.

The company operates both Life and General Insurance businesses and remains fully compliant with regulatory capital requirements as stipulated by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

The January payout reflects Mutual Benefit’s robust underwriting standards, prudent risk management practices and efficient claims administration framework.

It also aligns with the company’s broader record of substantial claims settlement in recent years, reinforcing its standing as a trusted brand in the Nigerian insurance industry.

Mutual Benefits employs over 5,000 staff, managed by seasoned management team and an experienced Board of Directors. Industry observers note that prompt claims payment remains one of the most critical differentiators in Nigeria’s competitive insurance landscape.

By consistently settling valid claims without delay, Mutual Benefits continues to strengthen customer confidence, deepen market trust and expand its footprint across retail and corporate segments.

As the company begins 2026 on a strong footing, it reiterates its commitment to innovation, service excellence and delivering value to policyholders and stakeholders alike. Mutual Benefits Assurance focused on its mission to provide reliable risk protection solutions while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.