Tracking health in digital age

•Nigerians turn to AI for wellness

By Doris Obinna

Nigeria is currently facing a significant and growing health crisis due to Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which account for nearly 30 per cent of all deaths in the country, including major impacts from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses. These “silent killers” expects disclosed are overtaking infectious diseases as the primary cause of mortality, with an estimated 617,300 deaths annually.

The government and health stakeholders are increasingly calling for improved funding, better data collection, and stronger policies to address this rising health threat.

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s healthcare and technology ecosystem have unveiled WelFAS, an artificial intelligence-powered wellness application designed to tackle lifestyle-related diseases and improve access to preventive healthcare services across the country.

The application, under the theme “Safe, Smart, Sustainable: The Future of Total Wellness & Fitness Transformation in Nigeria,” was developed by Cynosure WelFAS Limited. It integrates fitness tracking, calorie analysis, medical consultations and artificial intelligence-driven health insights into a single digital platform aimed at promoting healthier living.

Medical Director, Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and founder of WelFAS, Ogbe Omoruyi, said the HealthTech solution was created to help Nigerians and other users improve their wellness, fitness and overall health through disciplined lifestyle changes.

Omoruyi, a plastic surgeon, said the idea was inspired by the struggles many individuals face in achieving their body goals due to poor calorie estimation and lack of structured guidance.

He noted that the growing burden of lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes underscores the need for practical preventive tools.

According to him, the WelFAS app allows users to scan images of their meals to assess calorie content and track daily intake against recommended energy targets. The platform can generate customised daily and annual meal plans tailored to individual goals, encouraging users to maintain a negative energy balance where necessary to achieve gradual and sustainable weight loss.

He stressed that weight management should be approached as a long-term lifestyle commitment rather than a short-term effort, adding that consistency and discipline remain essential.

AI meets preventive healthcare

Further studies indicates that beyond nutrition tracking, the app integrates artificial intelligence to answer health-related questions, interpret uploaded laboratory results and facilitate consultations with certified doctors and nutritionists. Omoruyi said it would help bridge gaps created by Nigeria’s declining doctor-to-patient ratio and limited access to healthcare professionals.

While emphasising that the app’s primary aim is to promote healthy living and prevent extreme medical interventions, he acknowledged that bariatric surgery remains an option for individuals classified as morbidly obese, particularly those with a Body Mass Index above 40 who are unable to lose weight through conventional means. He explained that such procedures reduce stomach capacity to enable controlled food intake but should only be undertaken following proper medical recommendation. Subscribers, he added, may receive discounted rates on certain corrective procedures if required.

Artificial Intelligence Project Adviser for the app, Obumneme John-Kennedy, said WelFAS was designed to integrate AI in a practical and user-friendly manner. He explained that unlike many foreign fitness programmes that recommend foods not readily available in Nigeria, the app allows users to maintain local diets while managing portion sizes and calorie intake.

“With this app, you don’t have to stop eating fufu or eba. You can scan your meals and know what is appropriate for your body, based on your age, weight and health goals.”

Medical programme consultant, Victoria Bakare, said rising cases of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases make structured wellness support increasingly essential. She noted that the platform caters to individuals seeking weight loss, weight gain, muscle building or general fitness maintenance.

The subscription-based app is available to individuals and corporate organisations, with discounted packages for companies interested in improving staff wellness. Promoters urged Nigerians to embrace preventive healthcare, stressing that maintaining wellness is more cost-effective than treating chronic illnesses.

Modern health must embrace innovation

Commander-in-Chief of Medical, Innocent Enwuchola, represented by Ernest Onuchukwu, described the initiative as a bold and timely intervention in Nigeria’s wellness ecosystem. He said the launch of a digital platform dedicated to fitness, wellness and guided medical insights reflected an understanding that modern health systems must embrace innovation to remain effective.

He noted that within the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, health is viewed not merely as the absence of disease but as operational readiness, built on physical fitness, mental resilience, nutritional balance and adequate medical support. He described WelFAS as more than a business venture, calling it a public health intervention whose success should be measured by improved healthcare outcomes rather than download figures.

In his keynote address, Head, Corporate Sales and Partnerships at i-Fitness Center Limited, Derrick Nwafor, representing founder and Chief Executive Officer Foluso Ogunwale, highlighted Nigeria’s demographic and healthcare realities.

Citing United Nations data, he said Nigeria’s population has exceeded 227 million, with a median age of 18, describing the country’s youthful demographic as both a strength and a responsibility. He also referenced figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicating that non-communicable diseases account for about 29 per cent of deaths in Nigeria, many linked to lifestyle choices. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics, he added, show that only a small percentage of Nigerians have health insurance, leaving many households to shoulder medical expenses out of pocket.

Nwafor argued that prevention must become central to Nigeria’s healthcare strategy and said digital health innovation offers a pathway to expand access, reduce inequality and improve sustainability. Drawing parallels with advances in the financial services sector, he said Nigeria has demonstrated its capacity to leapfrog infrastructure gaps through innovation and can replicate that success in healthcare.

Nigeria should integrate innovation

Nwafor stressed that innovation without accessibility would widen inequality, while accessibility without sustainability would result in short-lived gains. According to him, Nigeria must integrate innovation, broad access and long-term sustainability to build a resilient health system.

In her role as the WelFAS ambassador, Kate Henshaw, highlighted that daily physical activity, regardless of intensity, is essential for reducing the risk of NCD.

During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Sam Anyamele, Henshaw along with other panelists, which included Founder of Farm Fresh NGR, Mrs. Oluwatosin Ariyo; Fitness Trainer, Ify Anadu; Wellness Leader Dr. Kafayat Shafau; unanimously agreed that wellness, embracing fitness at every size is fundamental to achieving a lasting, healthy lifestyle.

While urging Nigerians to adopt consistent, practical fitness routines as a sustainable path to overall wellness, they emphasised that incorporating daily exercise, no matter how small or where it is done, plays a critical role in improving physical health, boosting mental well-being, and preventing lifestyle-related diseases.