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Dr. Abayomi Ajayi

CEO, Nordica Fertility Clinic

The most common reason for genetic screening here is for gender selection, not so much for diseases. Sometimes, though, we catch abnormalities in the screening. We seek to introduce this much-needed education. We started with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to prevent parents from passing on genetic diseases to their offspring. We can screen embryos for diseases and use those that are not affected. There are more opportunities than challenges. In Lagos alone, the population is 20 million. One of the challenges, though, is that the government cannot do anything about the regulatory environment because it also faces certain problems. We spend less than 5% of GDP on healthcare. My wish is that we would have the proper structures in place so that everyone adheres to the rules and regulations. All the problems we have stem from certain people believing that they are above the law. However, if the law of the land is applied to the letter, corruption will be reduced and everything will improve. Health insurance, which the government seeks to develop, could be a positive; however, only about 4% of Nigerians use this program, and it is still extremely underdeveloped.

Dr. Ibrahim Wada

Founder, Nisa Premier Hospital

I want to leave behind a legacy project for the next generation, namely Nisa International Hospital under construction in Maitama, Abuja. Nigeria’s population is constantly growing so the present Nisa Hospital in Jabi District will continue to serve those who are socially and economically less advantaged. The upcoming expansion, Nisa International, will attract those who typically go abroad for their care. We must cater to the needs of our middle- to upper-class population. Nigerians are not confident in the national healthcare system because public hospitals are overwhelmed: the population is large, the quality is low, and workers are often on strike, sometimes for months. Therefore, the growing middle- and upper-class Nigerians know if they go to the UK the standards are higher than what they get at home. What we need to do—which is what Nisa focuses on—is create a system in Nigeria for outsiders to have the confidence to come. Nisa has managed to attract a growing patronage from the Nigerian diaspora who use our facilities every year either for fertility or gynecology. Nigeria’s focus, therefore, should be to have global level hospitals so that people come here to utilize our medical facilities. Its sustainability requires the joining of hands of Nigerian medical experts at home and abroad.

Dr. Richardson Ajayi

Clinical & Managing Director, Dr. Richardson Ajayi

The Bridge Clinic has been in the fertility space for 18 years, and we have the largest market share. The fertility market is becoming extremely competitive. When we started 20 years ago, we were the first fertility-focused clinic. However, 20 years on it is a crowded market. The great thing is there are many small players and it is fragmented, and there is an opportunity for consolidation. We are currently beyond fertility and, at present, our strategy is to leverage on the capabilities that we have built in running IVF clinics to run general medical clinics. The Bridge Clinic is evolving; we are building medical centers across the country. We recently completed a comprehensive feasibility study; our first clinic has gone up in Port Harcourt, and we are working on two at the moment within Lagos Mainland and the third will be in Victoria Island. I am optimistic; we have the population, and all we need is to get a few things right to unleash Nigeria on the world. Nigeria has tremendous potential; however, we need to tweak a few things to get it right and that starts with the government. As for the clinic, we want to focus on our rollout to expand our primary care infrastructure and move into the hospital space as well.

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