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A UK-backed digital health solution, Koyo Health Tech, has unveiled its flagship mobile platform, Koyo Navigate App to improve access to quality healthcare and verified medical information for Nigerians.
The digital platform which will allow Nigerians to have immediate, text-to-text conversations with qualified doctors with a commitment to expand access to quality health information across Nigeria.
Speaking at the event on Saturday in Abuja, Dr. Tom Clacknell, Founder and CEO of Koyo Health Tech, described Koyo as the product of years of global and Nigerian healthcare experience aimed at addressing the country’s growing health access challenges.
According to Dr. Clacknell, Koyo is a smartphone application that connects real people with real doctors through text-based consultations enhanced with photos and videos for clinical clarity.
He however emphasized that while the platform provides trusted medical information and professional advice, it does not replace physical examinations.
“Koyo allows users to have immediate, text-to-text conversations with qualified doctors. While we can’t examine patients physically, we can extract key clinical details from photos and videos to guide next steps in care,” he explained.
The CEO highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the platform’s future development, describing the technology as a “force for good” in amplifying limited medical resources.
“We saw a watershed moment when AI began to understand human conversations. Our mission is to harness this to strengthen healthcare in Nigeria—not to replace doctors, but to extend their reach,” he said.
Dr. Clacknell noted that Koyo’s AI system will be designed to analyze patient inputs and summarize key points for doctors, enabling faster and more accurate consultations. For now, all interactions remain human-to-human as the company builds deeper AI capabilities.
He stressed that Koyo was developed specifically for Nigeria’s health system, not imported from foreign contexts. Its early design, he revealed, was shaped by listening to Nigerian women and families about the challenges they face in seeking healthcare and determining trustworthy information.
“ Addressing Nigeria’s severe shortage of doctors — estimated at about 200,000 below WHO standards — Dr. Clacknell said Koyo’s AI-driven platform would help multiply doctors’ impact by streamlining history-taking, pharmacy queries, and other tasks, freeing up physicians to focus on deeper, more empathetic care.
He concluded that Koyo’s ultimate mission is to contribute meaningfully to universal healthcare coverage in Nigeria, by using technology and medical expertise to close the gap between patients and trusted health professionals.
Also speaking at the event the Mandate Secretary for Health, Mrs. Adedolapo Fasawa who was represented by Dr. Abubakar Ahmadu commended the initiative as a major step in integrating technology into healthcare delivery.
He said the Secretariat is ready to collaborate with Koyo Health Tech to enhance healthcare access across the FCT, while also promising to assist the company in fast-tracking its registration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
Dr. Ahmadu described the app as timely and valuable, adding that innovations like Koyo Navigate will help address existing limitations in the health sector and improve service delivery in the territory.
He congratulated the developers on the successful launch and reaffirmed the FCT administration’s commitment to partnerships that strengthen the healthcare system.
On his own the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), FCT Chapter, Dr. Ayogu Malachy Emeka, JP, has commended the launch of the Koyo Navigate App, describing it as a timely innovation that could help bridge Nigeria’s growing health access gap.
He noted that the country is currently facing a serious shortage of medical professionals due to the continuous migration of doctors and other healthcare workers in search of greener pastures.
He said the Koyo Navigate initiative, if properly implemented, would help fill the gaps created by the brain drain in the medical sector and improve access to quality healthcare for Nigerians.
“Many doctors and medical practitioners have left the country, creating a huge vacuum in our healthcare system. Anything that helps bridge this gap is good for our nation,” he stated.
