Leveraging AI-Driven Bioinformatics to Bridge the Precision Medicine Gap in West African Clinical Trials

Precision medicine aims to tailor treatments to individual genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors; however, its genomic foundations remain heavily biased toward European populations, leaving African and West African groups underrepresented. In Nigeria and across West Africa, this Eurocentric bias increases the risk of adverse drug reactions and suboptimal dosing in clinical practice, especially in oncology, infectious diseases, and psychiatric care.

This paper proposes a framework for leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to analyze African‑specific genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data through advanced bioinformatics pipelines. By focusing on pharmacogenomics and multi‑omics integration, we outline how AI‑driven modeling can optimize drug dosages for Nigerians, enhance clinical‑trial safety, and position West Africa as a leader in equitable precision medicine. The approach is designed to be scalable, partnership‑driven, and feasible within existing African research infrastructures.