Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented the poor state of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, saying quality health services should not remain a privilege for a select few.
Obasanjo spoke on Tuesday at the launch of the Care365 Health Hub at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The Care365 Health Hub, developed in the United States and now introduced in Nigeria, features a self-service health kiosk for instant vital checks, a mobile clinic for underserved communities, and a telemedicine app that connects patients to doctors globally.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state and chairman of Care365 Health Hub, led the event.
Obasanjo said the initiative represents a bold step toward addressing persistent gaps in healthcare access across the country.
He said when he reflects on the Nigeria envisioned at independence, and during his years of service in government, “health care was never meant to be a luxury for the privileged or elite”.
“It was to be a fundamental right, accessible 365 days of the year to the child in Damaturu, the mother in Yenogoa, the farmer in Ogbomosho, and the teacher in Birnin Kebbi,” he said.
“Yet, we know the truth. Millions of Nigerians still walk miles to reach a health post. Still, many die from preventable situations and conditions.”
Obasanjo described the innovation as a “social justice tool” that can bridge healthcare gaps.
“It is no longer acceptable that in the age of artificial intelligence and space tourism, a Nigerian child should die of malaria because her mother couldn’t afford to travel to the nearest health facility,” he said.
The former president urged government and stakeholders to integrate and invest in the platform to scale its reach.
Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the hub aligns with the federal government’s ongoing efforts to transform the sector through digital innovation and partnerships.
“This hub represents a very practical, innovative solution to one of our most consistent challenges: ensuring that quality health services are available and affordable to all Nigerians, especially those in underserved and remote communities,” he said.
Pate noted that the hub supports the administration’s four-pillar health agenda, which includes improving governance, expanding primary healthcare, unlocking the economic potential of the health sector, and ensuring health security.
“Health is an economic value because health is an investment. We have opportunities to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in just managing this,” he said.
Ngozi Odumoku, the Nigerian-American founder and innovator behind Care365, said the platform was inspired by his desire to replicate in Nigeria the ease of accessing healthcare he experienced abroad.
“I am a proud Nigerian and an American. While in America, this vision and idea to innovate this product came to me. Through the help of God, I am privileged to connect with leaders here who believed in the vision and made this dream a reality,” he said.
Odumoku explained that the Care365 system integrates technology to make healthcare “accessible, affordable, and closer to the people.”
“Through your phone, you can connect with our doctors in America, Europe, Asia, and Nigeria to discuss your healthcare needs. The mobile kiosk is able to check your vitals — invasives and non-invasives — and connects directly with our doctors who can examine and consult with you on the spot,” he said.
“From the mobile kiosk that checks your vitals to the mobile clinic deployed in rural and urban areas, our goal is to bring care closer to the people. This is the first ecosystem of its kind, connecting providers abroad and locally, linking mobile clinics, kiosks, and technology to create seamless access to care for everyone.”
