Nigeria's Healthtech Expansion Faces a New Era of Scrutiny

Nigeria’s healthtech ecosystem added 65 startups between 2020 and 2025, according to the State of Healthtech in Nigeria 2026 report. This expansion represents more than half of the 103 startups launched in the 15 years before the pandemic and reflects approximately 65% growth in startup activity.

The surge in activity was driven by the pandemic. In 2020 alone, 17 healthtech startups launched, marking the highest recorded number in the ecosystem in a single year. Today, the country has 128 active healthtech startups operating across subsectors including telehealth, healthcare analytics, digital supply chains, e-pharmacy, and digital healthcare financing.

The era of pandemic-driven urgency is ending. The sector is entering a phase where startups must demonstrate viability despite weak infrastructure, low insurance coverage, and slowing funding.

Before the pandemic, the sector faced significant adoption barriers. Founders dealt with limited digital infrastructure, poor internet access, and low digital literacy. In 2017, telemedicine was poorly understood, and there were no cohesive policies or guidelines to support it. Founders often had to educate patients, regulators, and healthcare professionals to build trust in digital services.

The pandemic changed the commercial reality for these companies. Lockdown restrictions and the fear of physical contact made remote consultations, digital prescriptions, and medication delivery more relevant. What was once viewed as a "nice-to-have" became a necessity.

The challenge for the 128 active startups now lies in moving beyond crisis-driven adoption. Success will depend on whether these companies can build sustainable models that function outside of a global health emergency.

Can these startups build lasting utility in an environment of declining pandemic urgency?