By Fatima Saka
The Federal Government of Nigeria has called for deeper strategic cooperation with China in medical technology, artificial intelligence, diagnostics, hospital development and local manufacturing as part of efforts to transform the country’s healthcare system.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call at the 32nd China International Medical Equipment Exhibition and Scientific Conference, China-Hospeq 2026, held at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing.
Salako said Nigeria was seeking to move its partnership with China beyond trade in raw materials towards high-level strategic cooperation capable of delivering sustainable health benefits to both countries.
According to him, the focus of China-Hospeq 2026 on China-Africa hospital collaboration through artificial intelligence transformation, appropriate technologies, capacity building and laboratory medicine was particularly relevant to Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms.
He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was implementing reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at strengthening primary healthcare, expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare, improving diagnostics and specialised care, accelerating digital health transformation and strengthening the country’s health workforce.
The minister also identified local production of medicines, medical devices, diagnostics and other health commodities as key priorities of the Federal Government.
Salako stressed that achieving these objectives required more than increased investment, noting that Nigeria needed innovative technologies, sustainable financing, skilled health professionals, strong institutions and strategic international partnerships.
He said platforms such as China-Hospeq provided Nigeria with opportunities to identify medical technologies that were appropriate, affordable, scalable and responsive to the country’s healthcare needs.
On Nigeria-China relations, the minister said the strategic partnership between both countries continued to expand, particularly in hospital development, medical technology, diagnostics, digital health, research, health workforce development and local manufacturing.
He highlighted opportunities for joint ventures in pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical equipment procurement and maintenance, as well as specialised training programmes in traditional and phytomedicine.
Salako also welcomed the growing emphasis on China-Africa health cooperation, particularly through the China-Africa Hospital Collaborative Development initiative and the China-Africa Hospitals Alliance.
He, however, cautioned that sustainable health-system transformation could not be achieved through the provision of medical equipment alone.
“Experience has shown that sustainable health-system transformation cannot be achieved simply by providing equipment,” he said, stressing the need for appropriate technologies, adequate training of health workers, maintenance systems, quality assurance and effective integration of technology into national health systems.
The minister said Nigeria was therefore seeking deeper collaboration with China and other international partners in medical equipment and health technologies, hospital development, clinical engineering, laboratory medicine, diagnostics, digital health, artificial intelligence, research and innovation.
Other areas, he said, included health workforce development, technology transfer, knowledge exchange, local manufacturing, value-chain development, emergency preparedness and global health security.
Salako noted that global health challenges, including pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, climate-related health threats and health inequalities, required collective and sustainable action.
He urged participants at China-Hospeq 2026 to translate discussions and innovations from the exhibition into practical partnerships that would strengthen healthcare systems.
“Let us move from exhibition to implementation, from innovation to impact, and from partnership to sustainable capacity,” he said.
He expressed Nigeria’s commitment to building partnerships with China that would outlive the conference and contribute to stronger and more resilient healthcare systems in both countries.
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