AMWE 2026: Nkemdilim Loretta Calls for Stable Healthcare Policies to Unlock Africa's Medical Wellness Potential
By Genesis Ogiri
ABUJA – The Marketing Director of G-Systems Limited, Nkemdilim Loretta, has called on African governments to institute stable healthcare policies and create a business-friendly environment capable of unlocking the continent's vast medical wellness potential, describing policy consistency as the cornerstone of sustainable healthcare development.
Loretta made the call while speaking during a high-level panel session at the , held at the . The session brought together policymakers, healthcare professionals, investors, development partners, and industry leaders to deliberate on the theme, "Environmental Sustainability of Africa's Medical Wellness."
Addressing participants, she maintained that sustainable healthcare systems can only flourish where governments demonstrate political will through visionary leadership, policy consistency, and long-term strategic planning. According to her, investors require confidence in government policies before committing substantial resources to the healthcare sector.
She argued that while Africa possesses enormous opportunities in healthcare, medical wellness, and medical tourism, inconsistent government policies continue to discourage private investment and slow the pace of innovation across the continent.
Loretta also urged governments to review import duties on medical equipment, noting that high tariffs increase the cost of acquiring modern diagnostic and treatment technologies. She explained that reducing import duties would enable hospitals and healthcare providers to procure advanced equipment, improve service delivery, and strengthen the overall quality of healthcare across Africa.
According to her, deliberate fiscal and regulatory reforms would not only improve access to medical technologies but also encourage local and international investors to expand healthcare infrastructure and establish world-class medical facilities capable of competing globally.
On human capital development, the G-Systems executive called for a fundamental reform of Africa's educational system, stressing that institutions should prioritize practical, skills-based learning over excessive theoretical instruction.
"Our educational system should become more practical than theoretical. We must produce graduates with hands-on competencies who can immediately contribute to solving healthcare challenges, drive innovation, and support the growth of Africa's medical industry," she said.
Loretta further observed that a noticeable gap still exists between government and the private sector in the development of healthcare across Africa. She noted that while the private sector has increasingly demonstrated innovation and strategic leadership, stronger collaboration with public institutions remains essential to achieving sustainable healthcare transformation.
"There is a gap between government and the private sector that must be addressed. When the private sector begins to demonstrate greater leadership vision than government, it shows there is a disconnect. That gap can only be bridged through collaboration, mutual trust, and policies that encourage partnership rather than bureaucracy," she stated.
She therefore called for stronger public-private partnerships, emphasizing that governments should provide clear regulatory frameworks, policy stability, and investment incentives that will enable businesses to contribute more effectively to healthcare delivery, medical innovation, and medical wellness development across the continent.
The continues to reinforce its position as a premier platform for healthcare transformation in Africa, bringing together governments and health ministries, hospitals, healthcare providers, investors, financial institutions, medical tourism facilitators, wellness and innovation companies, and global industry leaders. The forum seeks to drive healthcare investment, strengthen international partnerships, promote medical tourism, encourage innovation, and develop practical policy solutions that will build resilient, sustainable, and globally competitive healthcare systems across Africa.
