Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Alternative Bank says Nigeria’s biggest healthcare challenge is not a lack of ideas, but the absence of capital, partnerships, and delivery structures to scale those ideas beyond pilot projects.
Speaking at the 2026 Insights Learning Forum in Abuja, Chukwuemeka Agada, Divisional Head of Commercial Banking at The Alternative Bank, said many health innovations stall after the pilot stage because they are not built for long-term financing.
“Good ideas do not become health systems by themselves,” Agada said. “They need patient capital, credible partners, and structures that can move them from pilot sites into communities where people need care.”
He noted that projects serving low-income and underserved communities require financing models that link capital to real assets, share risk, and support long-term delivery. According to him, non-interest finance offers one viable route to fund health projects that are both impactful and financially sustainable.
“Healthcare will not scale on goodwill alone,” he added. “We need capital that understands the problem, partners who can execute, and structures that make the solution last beyond the first funding cycle.”
The two-day forum, convened by eHealth Africa in partnership with The Dala Group, brought together government officials, funders, health-tech innovators, and development organisations to discuss how to move digital health solutions into wider systems.
Participants highlighted persistent gaps in infrastructure, data, funding, and last-mile delivery as key barriers to adoption, especially in rural and underserved areas.
At the closing session, Solomon Okonkwo, Head of Corporate Social Investment at The Alternative Bank, said financial inclusion must translate to real opportunities for communities.
“Finance must connect to real needs,” Okonkwo said. “When we talk about inclusion, we are talking about access, dignity, and the ability of communities to take part in economic growth.”
He referenced the five-pathway framework presented by the Kano State Commissioner for Rural Development, which links health to education, agriculture, infrastructure, and climate resilience.
“Health does not stand alone,” Okonkwo said. “It connects to education, agriculture, infrastructure, and climate. Any serious development plan must treat these areas as linked.”
The forum’s goal, according to organisers, was to strengthen cross-sector partnerships, promote inclusive digital health, and mobilise investment for scalable health systems.
The Alternative Bank said it remains open to partnerships that can turn practical frameworks into funded interventions with measurable community impact.