If there was one thing the Insights Learning Forum (ILF) 2025 confirmed, it is this; Africa is not waiting to be rescued. It is charting its own course toward sustainable, inclusive health transformation.
Held on July 30th in Abuja, ILF brought together policy leaders, private sector actors, development partners, and community innovators around a common imperative on how to move from fragmentation to coherence in Nigeria’s health system. But more than a convening, ILF was a signal, a demonstration that national alignment on primary health care (PHC), digital infrastructure, and strategic investment is not only possible but already underway.
This is especially significant in a moment many global development observers are calling a “recalibration”, marked by a visible retraction in traditional donor flows, a renewed urgency around localisation, and increasing insistence on African-led, context-responsive solutions. While some institutions pause or pull back, others are choosing a different path. The Gates Foundation, for instance, is leaning in, investing in foundational systems like primary health care and education, not because the problems are new, but because the conditions for meaningful progress are aligning growing domestic demand, stronger local political will, and an expanding body of evidence showing what works. Their bet is simple but compelling; when solutions are locally led, technically sound, and operationally grounded, the return on investment, both social and economic, can be transformative.
That same logic is shaping the health landscape.
At ILF 2025, we heard from leaders who are not only shaping policy but also setting the tone for what reform must look like at scale. Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator of NHSRII/SWAp at the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, delivered a keynote that was anything but ceremonial. It was a strategic address grounded in realism, mapping out Nigeria’s priorities for digital health investment, the architecture for national alignment, and the need for coordination across federal, state, and partner ecosystems.
“It is a contribution to the continental call for African-led development that is not only about identity but also about efficacy.”
Equally powerful was the perspective shared by Dr. Moris Atoki, CEO of ABCHealth, who spoke to the catalytic role of digital health networks in accelerating outcomes across the continent. Her remarks framed Africa not as a passive recipient of innovation but as a continent with the potential, and responsibility, to lead on bold, collaborative, and homegrown solutions. Both leaders, in distinct but complementary ways, reminded us that locally informed innovation, PHC reform, and intentional cross-sector coordination are not simply ideals; they are the foundation of a resilient and future-ready health system.
Dr. Francis Ohanyido of WAIPH framed the challenge even more directly: we must unlock local capital for national impact. His case study on tech-enabled PHC delivery in underserved communities made the case for investing not only in solutions but also in the systems and leadership that can carry those solutions forward. The issue is no longer about pilots or proof of concept. This is about scale, at pace, with purpose.
And that is precisely where ILF offers a distinct value proposition. Convened by eHealth Africa, the Forum was designed not as a showcase but as a system-strengthening platform. The structure of the sessions, focused, collaborative, and deliberately cross-sectoral, reflected a conviction that the actual work of reform is not performed in silos, but in rooms where policy meets practice and where insights lead to investment.
The participants echoed this approach. From innovators like eHA Global Health Monitoring to funders like CHAI and Christian Aid to stakeholders such as the Kano State Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation, WARIF, and Plan International, there was a shared recognition that collaboration is no longer a “nice to have.” It is a necessity.
Our role is not to own the narrative but to hold space for it, to convene, to connect, and to catalyse. We see ILF as part of a broader movement to institutionalise learning, coordination, and accountability in Nigeria’s health architecture. It is a contribution to the continental call for African-led development that is not only about identity but also about efficacy.
There is, of course, more work to do. ILF was not the solution. It was a spark. But what we do next—how we share the insights, codify the signals, and translate the energy of alignment into durable reform—is what will matter most.
In the coming weeks, we will publish the ILF 2025 Insights Report, detailing the priorities, pain points, and potential pathways highlighted throughout the Forum. It will be an invitation to all stakeholders, from policymakers and funders to entrepreneurs and advocates, to act on what we now collectively know.
Because the truth is this: Africa does not lack ideas. It does not lack talent. And it certainly does not lack urgency. What it needs is convergence of vision, of will, and of investment. ILF 2025 was a step in that direction. Let’s take the next one together.
About the author:
Ota Akhigbe is the Director of Partnerships and Programmes at eHealth Africa, where she leads strategic engagement and ecosystem partnerships across digital health, primary healthcare, and health systems innovation. She is passionate about African-led reform and convening the right voices to turn insight into sustained impact.
