ONE prayer on the lips of most Nigerians is not to have anything to do with healthcare facilities – either private or government-owned in Nigeria. In fact, most average Nigerians dread going to hospitals due to the prohibitive costs as well as man-hours spent on queues to see a doctor or take a lab test, especially at government-owned facilities. Getting proper healthcare has become so expensive in Nigeria that the cost is now way above what the masses can afford. Getting treated for what most consider the most ‘ordinary’ ailment, malaria, could cost an individual over N50,000.
Once a patient presents symptoms at any health facility, they will be directed to carry out at least three medical tests for the doctor to determine what is actually wrong. Besides the fact that those tests are not cheap, to register at the facility before being granted access to see a doctor costs between N2,000 and N5,000, while consultation fee ranges between N5,000 and N50,000, depending on whether you intend to see a general practitioner or a consultant.
A patient seeking medical care in any of the tertiary health facilities in Lagos State, for example, should be ready to cough out thousands of Naira apart from the inconveniences that come with it. Getting an MRI scan costs more than the national minimum wage in the country. Besides, there is no functional MRI machine in any government health facility in the state. You will be directed to private hospitals. Yet, Lagos state is described as the ‘Centre of Excellence’.
In the entire country of over 220 million people, there are less than 60 functional MRI scanning machines. An MRI Scan is a safe medical test that uses powerful magnet and radio waves to make clear pictures of the inside of the body. In most advanced countries worldwide, the average obtainable is between 25 and 40 MRI scanners per a million people.
Japan is the world leader globally at nearly 60 units per a million people. Even in low or middle-income countries, where availability drops drastically, the average is one MRI scanner per a million people, although with vast disparities leaving large portions of rural populations entirely unserved. You can then imagine the sorry case of Nigeria with having less than 60 functional MRI scanners to over 220 million people.
Where they are available and functional, majority of Nigerians simply cannot afford the cost of an MRI scan which typically ranges between N80,000 and N260,000, depending on the body part being scanned, the location, and whether the procedure requires a contrast dye. Standard single area scan such as head/brain, spine (cervical or lumbar), shoulder, knee, pelvis, or individual joints cost between N85,000 and N120,000. Abdominal and complex scans such as MRCP (Biliary system), and dual abdomen/pelvic scan cost between N95,000 and N150,000, while multi-area or specialised procedures such as full spine MRI or specialized cardiac imaging are at the higher end of the spectrum, costing between N160,000 to N260,000.
In a country where the national minimum wage is N70,000, one might ask how many Nigerians can afford the exorbitant cost. Yet, it is one major requirement that cannot be wished away by those desiring good health and wishing to know the state of their internal organs.
The good news is that a young Nigerian is about to change all that due to an innovative idea which she came up with that has been recognized at home and abroad. Her name is Mary-Brenda Akoda. Akoda is the young scientist behind the invention of the new revolutionary tool, GenScan AI. By successfully translating advanced generative AI research into medical imaging technology that can be deployed within existing healthcare infrastructure, Akoda’s GenScan AI is centred initially on MRI, with her company, GenMRI Technology designed to reduce scan times, increase scanner capacity, and help healthcare systems reduce diagnostic delays. The tool is now set for clinical adoption and deployment with healthcare partners across the country.
Akoda’s journey in technology and entrepreneurship started at a young age of 15, when she won the SAGE World Cup in Entrepreneurship. At 17, she built renewable-energy systems before founding and growing a 13-person solar company serving off-grid communities, securing manufacturing, banking, and distribution partnerships.
Along the way, she has been recognised as a two-time Google Scholar (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), Palantir Scholar, Bloomberg Scholar, Innovate UK Women in Innovation 2026 cohort, and UK Global Talent (Tier 1 Exceptional Talent).
Today, Akoda is focused on building GenScan into a global medical AI company, and ultimately helping ensure that patients and their families get the diagnosis and care they need before it is too late.
Akoda’s interest in medical AI developed through her research at Imperial College, London, where she pursued a Master of Research (MRes) in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with Distinction. Her research focused on Deep Generative Models for MRI Reconstruction, exploring how generative AI could be used to significantly improve the speed and quality of medical image reconstruction.
She was one of two students, and the only international student awarded the 2024/25 Google DeepMind Scholarship at Imperial College, London. Her research was conducted under Dr. Chen Qin at Imperial’s I-X AI research laboratory, with involvement in the Biomedical Image Analysis Research Group.
In recognition of her work in the field of Science, Innovation and Technology, she emerged as the winner of The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation (NPSI) 2026 Prize for her groundbreaking innovation, GenScan AI (GenMRI/C-MORE), an artificial-intelligence-powered solution that accelerates Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
She was announced the winner last week, after a rigorous and independent evaluation by the Prize’s Panel of Judges and endorsement by the NPSI Advisory Board. Out of a total of 237 entries, Akoda came out tops as Akoda’s GenScan AI presents an AI-powered MRI reconstruction technology designed to significantly reduce MRI acquisition time while maintaining or improving image quality. Its C-MORE algorithm uses a one-step consistency-model framework to reconstruct MRI images, with the work reported to have the potential to reduce scan times by up to 90% without requiring new MRI hardware.
The innovation was adjudged to have the strongest combination of scientific innovation, technical soundness, developmental impact, and commercial scalability potential amongst the three shortlisted entries. The Judges noted that its ability to improve scanner utilisation, reduce patient waiting time, and potentially expand access to MRI services makes it particularly relevant to healthcare systems in resource-constrained environments such as Nigeria.
Chairman of the NPSI Advisory Board, Professor Barth Nnaji, said that the unanimous decision to recognise GenScan AI reflects the quality of the innovation and its potential to address important healthcare challenges.
He noted that the rigorous evaluation process was designed to identify work that goes beyond scientific novelty to demonstrate practical relevance, measurable impact, and prospects for real-world application. According to him, GenScan AI stood out for combining advanced artificial intelligence with a practical healthcare application that could improve the efficiency and accessibility of medical imaging.
The 2026 outcome marks the 12th time a winning work has been recognised in the 22-year history of the Prize, now rebranded as The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation. Akoda will receive the $100,000 prize award at The Grand Award Night scheduled for 9 October 2026.
A First-Class graduate of Computer Science from Goldsmiths University of London, Akoda holds a Master of Research with Distinction in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Imperial College London, where she was a Google DeepMind Scholar. She has also worked as a Software Engineer and AI Research Scientist at Microsoft, including with the Microsoft Mixed Reality and AI Research Lab in Cambridge.
By shortening time per examination, GenScan AI would potentially reduce waiting lists and enable earlier diagnosis, allow imaging centres to serve more patients with the existing machines. And by serving more patients, it is expected that the cost of MRI would be drastically reduced.
With GenScan AI already tested at Imperial College, London and several health facilities across the globe, it is believed that healthcare providers in the country would be ready to adopt the technology in our health care delivery system. Professor Berth Nnaji as well as Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande, another member of the Advisory Board, spoke of the need to involve the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), the Federal Ministry of Health, and other health care providers in ensuring that the GenScan AI is easily adoptable by medical facilities across the country. If this is done, an MRI scanner that could only attend to 20 patients in a day would now be available to more than 100 people at a significantly reduced price.
Needless to say, this is one innovation that would go a long way in reducing the cost of medical diagnostic services if it is eventually adopted and incorporated into our healthcare delivery system.
See you next week.
- Akintunde is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Glittersonline newspaper. His syndicated column, Monday Discourse, appears on News Point Nigeria newspaper on Monday.