AI-powered app launches in Nigeria to address medical shortages

UK-based AI company digiLab has partnered with Nigerian HealthTech startup KOYO to launch an AI-powered app in sub-Saharan Africa. It will begin with a rollout in Nigeria, which has a shortfall of more than 200,000 doctors and faces an estimated 125,000 preventable paediatric deaths every year from diseases such as malaria. The KOYO Navigate app, powered by digiLab’s Uncertainty Engine, will launch in Abuja in September 2025 to provide AI-guided consultations tailored to the needs of users in urban and peri-urban areas, especially working women and families. Thomas Cracknell, founder and chief executive at KOYO, said: “We’re not following the healthcare path of high-income countries. “Africa leapfrogged landlines with smartphones, and we’re doing the same with healthcare access – creating scalable, affordable, and safe systems built for our context. “This is just the beginning of a long-term ambition to reshape how communities across the continent access and trust healthcare.” The app integrates local data and guidance from the World Health Organisation and is designed to support decision-making in areas where misinformation, limited diagnostic access and strained doctor-patient relationships can hinder healthcare efforts. It uses AI to help users determine if, when and where to seek medical care and explains the decision-making behind each medical recommendation, enabling doctors to validate, regulate and standardise each AI-supported outcome. The solution also includes uncertainty quantification features which allow the system to measure its own confidence in outputs and identify when additional information is required before reaching a conclusion. Tim Dodwell, founder and chief executive at digiLab, said: “This is healthcare reimagined – not replacing doctors, but scaling their reach in a way that’s locally relevant and globally significant. “Our AI is auditable, explainable, and built for environments where trust is critical. “By combining this with KOYO’s insight and credibility in Nigeria, we’re creating something genuinely transformational.” Early user testing shows 84% satisfaction rates, with users reporting greater comfort discussing sensitive health issues compared to traditional clinical settings. For the launch, KOYO has integrated additional features, including faster response times, media upload options and 24/7 access. It is also working with Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency to promote digital literacy and accessibility. The platform is currently available in English, Pidgin and French with plans to launch consultations in Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo – the three most widely spoken Nigerian languages. Rollout is eventually hoped to expand across Nigeria and into Gambia, with the opportunity to scale globally.