By Anthony Emeka Nwosu
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly finding practical applications across sectors, and healthcare is one area where its impact is becoming more visible. In Nigeria, where access to healthcare professionals remains a challenge in many communities, technology innovators are developing solutions aimed at bridging the gap between patients and healthcare providers.
One such solution is Aisha (AI-Supported Healthcare Assistant), an AI-powered healthcare platform designed to help users understand symptoms, access reliable health information and connect with healthcare professionals when necessary.
In this exclusive interview with Anthony Emeka Nwosu, a partner at Conn8 Media Solutions NG, Charity Orji, Team Lead and Co-founder of Aisha Technologies Limited, discusses the inspiration behind the platform, its rapid adoption, multilingual capabilities, healthcare accessibility features, data privacy measures and the company’s vision for the future.
Q: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about Aisha Technologies?
Charity Orji:
My name is Charity Orji, and I am the Team Lead and Co-founder of Aisha Technologies Limited.
Aisha is an acronym for AI-Supported Healthcare Assistant. It is an artificial intelligence-powered healthcare platform created to support people from the moment they begin experiencing symptoms through their recovery journey while helping them understand when professional medical intervention may be necessary.
Nigeria, like many developing countries, faces significant healthcare challenges, including shortages of healthcare professionals and the impact of medical brain drain. Our goal is to leverage technology to bridge some of these gaps by giving people access to reliable healthcare information and guidance.
Through Aisha, users can ask health-related questions, gain a better understanding of their symptoms, receive basic healthcare guidance and, where necessary, connect with qualified healthcare professionals.
Q: When was Aisha launched, and how has the market responded?
Charity Orji:
We officially launched Aisha in September 2025, and the response has exceeded our expectations.
In less than nine months, we have recorded over 62,000 registered users, which demonstrates the growing demand for accessible digital healthcare solutions in Nigeria.
One of the reasons for this rapid adoption is accessibility. We chose WhatsApp as one of our primary channels because it is already widely used by millions of Nigerians. Users do not need to download a complicated application or learn a new platform.
The registration process is simple and familiar, making it easy for people to begin using the service immediately.
The growing user base also indicates that many Nigerians are actively seeking reliable health information and guidance before making healthcare decisions.
Q: Is Aisha a subscription-based platform?
Charity Orji:
Yes, it is.
We currently operate a freemium model. Every user can access up to 25 free health-related questions on the platform.
After exhausting the free allocation, users can subscribe for ₦900 per month, which gives them continued access to the service.
For those who require direct interaction with healthcare professionals, we offer virtual consultations at ₦3,000 per session. This service is available to subscribers and provides access to qualified medical professionals through our telemedicine partnerships.
Our objective is to keep healthcare support affordable while ensuring sustainability.
Q: How can Aisha help people living in rural communities with limited access to healthcare professionals?
Charity Orji:
This is one of the key problems we are trying to address.
Many rural communities have healthcare facilities but lack sufficient doctors or specialists. In some cases, residents must travel long distances before receiving professional medical attention.
For smartphone users, Aisha provides immediate access to health information and guidance. Users can upload laboratory results, medical information or medication details and receive assistance in understanding them.
For people without smartphones, we have introduced a voice-based solution through a toll-free line, allowing users to interact with Aisha by phone.
The platform also enables virtual consultations, allowing healthcare professionals to provide support remotely without requiring patients to travel unnecessarily.
Where additional medical intervention is required, Aisha guides users toward the appropriate healthcare facility for further treatment.
Users can interact with Aisha in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin, making healthcare information more accessible to people regardless of language barriers.
Q: Why should Nigerians use Aisha instead of simply searching online for health information?
Charity Orji:
This is a very important question.
Many people turn to search engines whenever they experience symptoms. The challenge is that internet searches often generate results that may be inaccurate, misleading or frightening because they lack local context and proper clinical governance.
Aisha was developed specifically with the Nigerian environment in mind.
The platform does not replace doctors, diagnose diseases or prescribe medications. Instead, it helps users better understand their symptoms, provides relevant first-aid guidance where appropriate and advises them on when to seek professional medical attention.
One of our strongest advantages is accessibility through local languages.
Users can interact with Aisha in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin, making healthcare information more accessible to people regardless of language barriers.
Another significant advantage is availability.
Aisha operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring that people can access healthcare guidance whenever they need it, regardless of location or time.
Q: Does Aisha work with the Nigerian Medical Association and other healthcare professional bodies?
Charity Orji:
At the moment, we collaborate with telemedicine companies that already have networks of verified and licensed healthcare professionals.
The doctors available through these networks are properly certified and qualified to provide virtual consultations.
As we continue to grow, we intend to establish stronger relationships with major healthcare regulatory and professional bodies, including the:
- Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
- Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)
- Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)
- Other relevant healthcare institutions and professional organisations.
We believe collaboration is critical to building trust, ensuring compliance and strengthening healthcare delivery.
We also see opportunities to work closely with healthcare providers, private-sector organisations and other stakeholders to complement existing healthcare systems rather than compete with them.
Q: With health information being highly sensitive, how does Aisha protect user data?
Charity Orji:
Data privacy and security are among our highest priorities.
We understand that health information is extremely sensitive, which is why we have implemented measures to protect user data.
Information shared by users is anonymised, and we do not disclose personal information to third parties without appropriate consent.
For users who choose to access virtual consultation services, specific consent requirements must be accepted before information is shared with healthcare professionals.
In addition, users maintain control over their data.
Anyone who wishes to delete their information can submit a request through the platform, and according to our process, such requests are completed within 24 hours.
Building trust is essential for any healthcare technology platform, and data protection remains central to our operations.
Q: What is the long-term vision for Aisha?
Charity Orji:
Our vision is simple but ambitious.
We want to make reliable healthcare information and professional healthcare support accessible to every Nigerian, regardless of location or socioeconomic background.
Aisha is not designed to replace doctors, hospitals or the healthcare system. Instead, it is intended to complement them by helping people make informed decisions and seek appropriate care at the right time.
Ultimately, we believe technology can help bridge some of Nigeria’s healthcare access challenges.
By combining artificial intelligence with professional healthcare services, we hope to make healthcare guidance more accessible, improve health literacy and connect more Nigerians to the medical support they need.
Closing Thoughts
As digital health solutions continue to gain traction globally, platforms such as Aisha demonstrate how artificial intelligence can be deployed responsibly to improve healthcare accessibility in emerging markets.
With over 62,000 users within nine months of launch, multilingual support, affordable subscription plans and growing telemedicine partnerships, Aisha is positioning itself as a technology-driven healthcare companion for millions of Nigerians seeking timely health information and professional guidance.
For Charity Orji and her team, the mission remains clear: use technology to bridge healthcare gaps, empower individuals with reliable information and improve access to quality healthcare services across Nigeria.
Interview conducted by Anthony Emeka Nwosu