UNIMED Pushes for Technology and Innovation to Transform Nigeria’s Healthcare

The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, has called for greater deployment of technology and innovation to address the challenges confronting medical care in Nigeria.

The appeal was made during the opening ceremony of the second Faculty of Clinical Sciences Conference, held on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at the Oladipo Akinkugbe Hall, Laje Campus of the institution.

Themed “Transforming Medical Care in Nigeria through Technology and Innovation”, the conference spotlighted groundbreaking advances in interventional radiology as a model for revolutionising healthcare delivery.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Hammed Ninalowo, a U.S.-trained double-boarded diagnostic and vascular/interventional radiologist and founder of IRDOCNIGERIA, detailed how his team has introduced life-saving procedures in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Dr. Ninalowo highlighted pioneering feats, including the country’s first transjugular portosystemic shunt, first mechanical thrombectomy for stroke, first prostate artery embolization, first endovascular repair of aortic aneurysm, and first intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma.

He revealed that in the last two years, his team treated 29 lesions in 27 patients, with 23 making full recoveries, far surpassing local surgical survival rates.

“By localising expertise and training Nigerian teams to perform these procedures, we are not only saving lives but also reducing capital flight,” he stated.

In her welcome address, UNIMED Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, underscored the importance of inclusive leadership in driving healthcare innovation.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion must not be afterthoughts; they must be embedded into the very foundation of our healthcare transformation,” she said.

While acknowledging the sector’s challenges, she urged stakeholders to view them as opportunities to innovate, stressing the need for collaboration among clinicians, researchers, technologists, and policymakers.

Also speaking, Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Professor Oluseyi Adejumo, noted that the university’s role as the nation’s pioneer medical sciences institution places it at the forefront of advocating innovation.

“The world is rapidly progressing in technological interventions and artificial intelligence. The healthcare space is not left out. We must leverage these tools to improve our healthcare delivery system if we do not want to be left behind,” he said.

The event drew distinguished guests, including UNIMED’s pioneer Visitor and former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Legislative Matters, Hon. Jibayo Adeyeye, as well as stakeholders from academia and the health sector.