Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) and a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo, has advocated for Nigeria to adopt international best practices to enhance its medical sector.
In a press statement made available to the media, Senator Banigo underscored the urgent need for Nigeria to leverage technology to improve healthcare delivery, emphasising the importance of embracing global standards to strengthen the nation’s health system.
She stated this following her participation in the Delocalised Meeting of the ECOWAS Health Committee in Conakry, Guinea on the role of telecommunications and information technology in promoting health services across the ECOWAS region.
Reflecting on the recent discussions, Senator Banigo explained that the critical issue of technology in healthcare was also a central theme at the 5th Legislative Health Summit, which she hosted in her capacity as Chair of the 10th Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).
“It marked the first comprehensive discussion on this issue in the Nigerian Health sector, paving the way for unlocking the full potential of telemedicine as a valuable means of delivering health education and improving our healthcare outcomes in achieving Universal Health Coverage,” she noted.
She further disclosed that as part of efforts to promote health services within the ECOWAS region, the committee visited two tertiary hospitals in Conakry, Guinea, the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire and the National Hospital Donka. She highlighted the importance of these visits in assessing best practices that could be adapted to improve Nigeria’s health system.
She also stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to draw lessons from such facilities to develop a more robust healthcare framework that prioritises efficiency, quality, and accessibility.
“It was interesting to observe best practices and consider how these can inform more robust oversight as we move forward,” she said, urging policymakers and stakeholders in Nigeria to embrace innovations that could transform the health sector.
She however reiterated her commitment to driving legislative reforms that will position Nigeria’s health sector at par with international standards, noting that collaboration across the ECOWAS region would be vital to achieving this goal.
“We must learn from each other, adopt best practices, and ensure that our health systems can adequately serve our people,” she stated.
