Human Hearts, Machine Minds: How Artificial Intelligence Can Transform Paediatric Care in Nigeria

Due to its ubiquitous use in diverse sectors, artificial intelligence (AI) has been hailed as the fourth industrial revolution. AI's potential has not been fully realised in Nigeria's medical space, notably in paediatric care. We discuss how AI can improve paediatric care in Nigeria, focusing on early diagnosis, precision medicine, and remote monitoring. AI must overcome several obstacles to be appropriately integrated into paediatric care. The disparity between training data and healthcare settings can cause algorithmic bias, diagnostic errors, and flawed treatment recommendations. More substantial patient privacy rights and transparent AI algorithms are needed to build healthcare workers and patient trust in AI and ease AI adoption. This paper contends that medical curricula must include training in AI and related fields to equip future Nigerian paediatricians with the skills to maximise AI's potential. Meanwhile, Nigerian paediatricians and AI specialists must join forces to adapt AI technologies to Nigeria's particular needs. Nigerian Medical Journal, Vol. 66 No. 2 (2025): March to April