FG, UbuntuCare Move To Take Digital Healthcare To 774 LGAs, Target Underserved Nigerians

• Efforts to strengthen primary healthcare and advance Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria are set to receive additional support through UbuntuCare Africa, a digital primary healthcare platform designed to connect Nigerians with healthcare providers and essential services across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas.

• UbuntuCare combines toll-free health support, nurse-led triage, doctor teleconsultations, laboratory services, essential medicines, referrals and follow-up care to reach people in rural and underserved communities who may struggle to access conventional health facilities.

• The initiative provides first-contact healthcare guidance even to Nigerians without smartphones, internet access or mobile data, potentially extending access to women, farmers, traders, artisans, older persons and other vulnerable groups.

• UbuntuCare is building a network of pre-screened clinics, hospitals, licensed pharmacies and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs), linking digital consultations with physical treatment and medication to improve continuity of care at community level.

August 31, () — The Federal Government’s drive to expand access to quality and affordable healthcare across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas is set to receive a boost with the deployment of UbuntuCare Africa, a digital primary healthcare platform designed to bridge gaps in access to medical services, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.

The initiative is expected to complement government efforts to strengthen primary healthcare and advance Universal Health Coverage by using technology and community-based healthcare networks to take services beyond the conventional facility-based model.

UbuntuCare Africa provides a coordinated platform through which Nigerians can access healthcare information, first-contact support, nurse-led triage, doctor consultations, referrals and follow-up care. The system is designed to help patients navigate from initial health guidance to diagnosis, treatment, medication and continuing care.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent challenges confronting healthcare delivery in Nigeria, including inadequate infrastructure in some rural communities, shortages of healthcare professionals, long distances to health facilities, affordability constraints and difficulties faced by people living in areas with limited digital connectivity.

Rather than relying solely on conventional healthcare facilities, UbuntuCare seeks to combine digital services with a physical network of healthcare providers located closer to communities.

At the centre of the platform is a 24-hour toll-free, multilingual health support service that enables Nigerians to obtain first-contact healthcare guidance without necessarily requiring a smartphone, internet connection or mobile data.

The service is designed to improve access for populations that are often excluded from digitally driven healthcare solutions, including rural residents, women, farmers, traders, artisans and older persons.

The platform also incorporates nurse-led triage and doctor teleconsultations, allowing patients to receive preliminary medical guidance and determine the appropriate level of care without necessarily travelling to a hospital for every health concern.

Where physical intervention is required, patients can be referred to healthcare facilities and other providers within UbuntuCare’s network.

The company said its provider network consists of pre-screened clinics, hospitals, licensed pharmacies and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors, with the objective of creating a coordinated healthcare chain that connects patients to verified providers and essential medicines.

The approach is intended to address one of the major weaknesses of digital healthcare delivery — the gap between virtual consultation and actual treatment.

By linking telemedicine with physical healthcare providers, laboratory services, pharmacies and follow-up care, UbuntuCare seeks to ensure that patients can move from consultation to treatment without being left to navigate the healthcare system on their own.

The platform also incorporates biometric-enabled health identification and verified provider access as part of its digital healthcare ecosystem.

According to the company, its subscription model is designed to accommodate the income patterns of households, particularly people working in Nigeria’s informal economy.

Flexible payment options, including daily contribution models, are intended to make healthcare costs more manageable for households with irregular income.

Speaking on the initiative, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UbuntuCare Africa, Chukwunonimem Michael Ike, said the platform was developed to help address persistent barriers to healthcare access by combining technology with community-based partnerships.

He said Nigeria had made significant investments in strengthening primary healthcare, but millions of Nigerians still faced difficulties in obtaining timely and affordable medical care.

“Nigeria has made significant investments in strengthening primary healthcare, but millions of people still face barriers in accessing timely and affordable care.

UbuntuCare is designed to support existing healthcare structures by connecting citizens with trusted providers and helping them navigate the healthcare system more easily, regardless of where they live,” Ike said.

Led by Ike and Dr Jemchang Yildam Fabong, UbuntuCare is built around the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasises shared humanity, collective responsibility and community well-being.

The platform said the philosophy informed its decision to develop a healthcare model that does not make access to primary care dependent solely on a person’s location, income, social status or internet connectivity.