A Nigerian smart bra shows why health inventors need patents
At the Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja, WIPO pointed to Kemi Bolarinwa's breast cancer device as proof that protecting ideas helps African health innovations scale.
Abuja — Nigeria has health innovations that work. The challenge, speakers at the Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja said this week, is getting them beyond the pilot stage. The summit, held on 21 and 22 October under the theme "Scaling What Works", was reported by Premium Times.
A Nigerian example
Siddhartha Prakash, global health lead at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), pointed to a smart bra for breast cancer detection developed by Nigerian inventor Kemi Bolarinwa. Patent protection, with federal government backing, played a key part in taking it to market. Patents, he said, establish originality and give investors confidence.
He also said about 20% of Nigerian doctors already use conversational AI tools to support decisions, but many AI systems are trained mostly on foreign data that may not reflect African patients, so local research, investment and IP protection matter. WIPO's centre of excellence for IP in medical innovation and manufacturing, launched in 2025, trains governments, companies and researchers in patents, licensing and technology transfer.
The government's position
Salma Anas, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on health, said primary health care, digital health systems, prevention and partnerships are priorities, and that digital health must move from small projects to national systems. Ahmed Aliko of her office said proven programmes need more money to reach more communities, citing the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and called for wider health insurance.
Source: Premium Times, 22 October 2026.
