Diagnostics Key to Modern Healthcare, Strategic to Health Reforms

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, has described diagnostics as the foundation of modern healthcare, stressing that strengthening diagnostic capacity is essential for improving the efficiency and performance of Nigeria’s health system.
Salako made the remark while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 National Summit on Diagnostics, themed “Strengthening Partnerships and Local Content for Integrated Diagnostics,” held in Abuja.
According to him, accurate and timely diagnosis is critical for disease prevention, early detection, effective treatment, and continuous patient monitoring, noting that a large proportion of clinical decisions globally rely on diagnostic results.
Represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, the minister said the summit’s theme reflects the urgency of transforming Nigeria’s diagnostic landscape into a resilient and sustainable system capable of delivering improved health outcomes.
He said an integrated and coordinated diagnostic system is crucial for quality healthcare delivery, explaining that reliable diagnostic services enable healthcare providers to make informed decisions that enhance patient outcomes and ensure efficient use of resources.
Salako noted that strengthening diagnostics goes beyond infrastructure, emphasizing the need for strong governance, effective partnerships, skilled manpower, functional laboratory networks, robust regulatory systems, and sustainable financing. He added that deliberate investment in local capacity development and domestic production of diagnostic technologies is also vital.
The minister further disclosed that the government is prioritising local content development in the health sector, including the manufacturing, distribution, and maintenance of diagnostic equipment and in-vitro diagnostic products. According to him, strengthening local innovation and production will enhance national health security, stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and position Nigeria as a regional leader in healthcare solutions.
He reaffirmed that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reforming the health sector remains a national priority, with diagnostics occupying a strategic place in the reform agenda. He added that the ministry would continue to promote policies and initiatives that strengthen laboratory services nationwide, including the implementation and periodic review of the National Essential Diagnostics List.
Salako also emphasised the importance of collaboration in strengthening the country’s diagnostic ecosystem, noting that government alone cannot drive the required transformation.
“The strength of our diagnostic ecosystem will depend largely on the strength of our partnerships. Government must work closely with development partners, research institutions, professional bodies, the private sector, and local innovators to achieve sustainable progress,” he said.
He announced that the National Summit on Diagnostics would be institutionalised as an annual platform to deepen partnerships, promote local content, and advance integrated diagnostic services in Nigeria.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, represented by the Director of Hospital Services, Adeola Adegoke, described diagnostics as the backbone of clinical decision-making and public health response.
She noted that with more than 70 per cent of medical decisions globally relying on diagnostic results, ensuring accessible, reliable, and quality diagnostic services across all levels of healthcare is crucial to improving patient outcomes and safeguarding national health security.
Kachollom acknowledged that Nigeria has recorded progress in expanding laboratory and diagnostic capacity but said challenges such as infrastructure gaps, workforce shortages, supply chain constraints, and unequal access remain.
She stressed that addressing these challenges requires stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners, academia, and the private sector.
Also speaking, Executive Director of KNCV TB Foundation, Gidado Mustapha, called for the enforcement of a national diagnostic integration framework and improved access to diagnostic services at primary healthcare facilities nationwide.
Delivering a presentation titled “From Fragmentation to Integration: Building a Partnership-Driven Diagnostic Ecosystem for Nigeria’s Health System and Quality of Care,” Mustapha said expanding diagnostic access at the primary healthcare level would improve healthcare delivery and enhance early disease detection.
In his vote of thanks, the Director and Head of the Medical Laboratory Services Division at the ministry, Emeka Elom, expressed appreciation to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting reforms in the health sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The summit also featured the unveiling of the National Guideline for the Implementation of Medical Laboratory Quality Management System, with participants drawn from within and outside Nigeria.