Nigerian medical doctor and digital health advocate, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, popularly known as Aproko Doctor, has disclosed plans to expand health education into indigenous Nigerian languages, beginning with communities in the northern part of the country.
The initiative is intended to make reliable medical information accessible to people who struggle to understand health messages delivered primarily in English or Pidgin. Egemba also revealed that Awadoc, a digital primary healthcare platform he co-founded, has attracted more than 200,000 registered users.
Speaking in an interview published on Monday, October 12, 2026, Egemba explained that language remains a major obstacle to effective healthcare communication in Nigeria. He observed that although the country has hundreds of indigenous languages, much of the medical information available online does not adequately serve people who communicate primarily in Hausa, Kanuri, Fulfulde and other local languages. He said the situation leaves many Nigerians dependent on informal advisers whose medical knowledge may be unreliable. “That’s why we’re building health channels in indigenous languages, starting from the north,” he explained.
The physician traced his commitment to public health education to an experience early in his medical career, when he lost a patient to a stroke that he believed could have been prevented. According to him, the patient had lived with dangerously elevated blood pressure without receiving a sufficiently clear explanation of the associated risks or available treatment. The experience convinced him that providing medical services was not enough if patients lacked the information necessary to recognise warning signs and seek timely treatment. He subsequently began exploring ways to communicate essential health information through platforms already familiar to ordinary Nigerians.
Egemba, who once sold pap at a roadside junction in Aguda, Surulere, Lagos, said the experience taught him how to capture people’s attention within seconds. He has since applied that understanding to social media, where millions follow his explanations of common health conditions, preventive care and misconceptions about medical treatment. Rather than rely heavily on technical language, he presents health information through relatable situations, humour and fictional characters that audiences can easily recognise. His approach, he explained, is designed not merely to attract attention but to ensure that viewers understand and remember the information being presented.
The medical practitioner also expressed concern about the influence of misinformation on healthcare decisions, warning that false medical claims can spread rapidly when trusted professionals are absent from digital conversations. He advocated stronger participation by doctors, nurses and other qualified health workers on social media, including efforts to teach audiences how to recognise misleading information before encountering it. Egemba maintained that correcting misinformation requires sensitivity because ridiculing people who believe inaccurate claims can deepen their distrust of medical professionals. He also acknowledged that healthcare professionals must be willing to correct their own mistakes publicly when new evidence establishes that previous information was inaccurate.
Beyond his social media activities, Egemba said he was working to strengthen the connection between digital health information and actual medical services. Through Awadoc, which operates around WhatsApp, users can access a system linked to participating healthcare professionals, laboratories and pharmacies.
He disclosed that more than 200,000 people had registered on the platform, attributing much of its growth to recommendations from people users already trust. He argued that digital healthcare initiatives cannot succeed merely by attracting downloads or offering automated assessments if patients remain unable to obtain consultations, diagnostic tests or prescribed treatment.
The physician identified inadequate funding, poor internet connectivity, expensive mobile data and limited access to healthcare professionals as obstacles confronting digital health innovation in Nigeria.
He argued that many promising healthcare projects disappear when their initial funding expires because their developers fail to establish sustainable operating arrangements. Egemba also questioned the effectiveness of healthcare initiatives that depend entirely on government or insurance payments in a country where households still bear a substantial share of medical expenses directly.
He urged innovators to prioritise affordability, public trust and practical integration with existing healthcare facilities rather than concentrate exclusively on developing new applications.
Egemba, who serves as Executive Director of the Aproko Doctor Foundation and runs the Aproko Doctor Academy, said his broader ambition was to encourage Nigerians to take preventive healthcare more seriously. He wants individuals to understand their blood pressure readings, recognise the warning signs of serious illnesses and seek professional medical attention before preventable conditions become emergencies.
He also called for more healthcare professionals to develop effective communication skills, arguing that credible medical knowledge should be accessible regardless of educational background, language or location. His latest initiatives reflect a growing emphasis on using digital platforms not simply to distribute medical advice but to bridge longstanding gaps between health information, public understanding and access to care
