ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN RURAL HEALTH PROMOTION IN NIGERIA: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND POLICY DIRECTIONS

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly recognized as a transformative tool in health education and promotion, offering innovative solutions to enhance disease prevention, behavior modification, and public health surveillance. Yet, in rural Nigerian communities, health promotion outcomes remain constrained by infrastructural deficits, low digital literacy, and limited access to healthcare services. This position paper argues that AI-driven interventions such as mobile health platforms, wearable devices, and predictive analytics have the potential to close critical health education gaps and strengthen preventive health systems in underserved settings. While AI offers significant opportunities, its deployment in rural contexts raises concerns around data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the risk of widening the digital divide. To harness AI effectively, we advocate for deliberate policy action to expand digital infrastructure, promote digital literacy, integrate AI with human-centered health education strategies, and establish ethical governance frameworks. By adopting these measures, Nigeria can leverage AI not only as a technological tool but as a catalyst for equity in health education and promotion. This paper positions AI as an indispensable partner to human expertise in driving inclusive, preventive, and sustainable health outcomes in rural communities.