The global coronavirus outbreak spread to Nigeria at the end of February and has since infected 174 Nigerians, claiming two lives.
Nigerian venture capital network Ventures Platform recently partnered with the Nigerian government to find tech-enabled solutions to address the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and prevent its spread in the country.
From a digital platform that connects patients with medical providers to software that aims to track and visualize the predicted spread of the virus, Nigerian tech startups are using technology to fight COVID-19.
Here are seven Nigerian tech startups working to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Nigeria.
Founded by Dr. Wale Adeosun, Wellvis Health is building a digital platform that connects healthcare seekers in Africa with health professionals. Users of Wellvis can choose to remain anonymous while seeking advice on certain topics considered taboo, controversial or to protect their identity, according to Pulse. In this case, users in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and The Gambia can ask about COVID-19 symptoms and be connected to a knowledgable medical professional through the platform to determine if they should visit a hospital for medical care.
iQube Labs is the Nigerian startup behind MyServiceAgent, an artificial intelligence-powered system that can communicate with hundreds of callers to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control simultaneously to ease panic and keep people informed about the coronavirus and what they need to do to prevent the spread of the virus, according to Technext. The information that is gathered from the callers is then passed on to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control when action needs to be taken.
Developed by medical doctor Nestor Inimgba, Infodemics is a product that uses social circles to communicate appropriate health information related to the coronavirus within communities. The startup’s COVID-19 tracker app allows users to report that they are in isolation and request a coronavirus test. A built-in automated system in the app then questions the user on symptoms and their circumstances to decide whether the individual needs a test, according to Weetracker.
Prunedge is a tech startup that develops innovative solutions to improve the efficiency of processes, the livelihood of people and aid decision-making within organizations. The company is working on a health-tech product called GloEpid led by project manager Joel Ogunsola that is expected to help individuals, companies and other organizations to make decisions based on data about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wella Health’s product, known as Driage, is a digital triage bot that provides guidance based on updated Nigerian Center for Disease Control guidelines and logs responses for follow up by public health as required, according to a press release. The Wella Health team is led by Ikpeme Neto. The bot provides an automated way to reduce the dependence of people on doctors and other medical personnel as these individuals are being stretched and fatigued by the immense need for their expertise during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Innover Technologies is an information and communication technology firm that specializes in mobile app development, enterprise web portals, tech consulting and new media communications. The company is working on a project named COVID-19 Nigeria aimed at addressing the coronavirus pandemic and preventing its spread in the country. While exact details on how the solution will achieve this have not yet been released, it is among a selection of startups supported by Nigeria’s Ventures Platform and the Lagos State Science and Research and Innovation Council.
Led by Abiri Oluwatosin Niyi, Cmapit Analytics has developed data visualization software that analyzes geospatial data variables related to the coronavirus outbreak and how it can be tracked and visualized so that predictions are accurate, according to Weetracker. This kind of technology is used to give officials and those in charge of mitigation a picture of what the virus may do next.
