More Than 8,000 Health Professionals, Over 500 Exhibitors From More Than 40 Countries To Converge In Lagos For World Health Expo

West Africa’s healthcare industry will converge in Lagos next week as World Health Expo (WHX) officially opens at the Landmark Centre from 2–4 June 2026, bringing together healthcare leaders, distributors, buyers, investors, laboratory professionals and policymakers from across the region and around the world.

Positioned as the gateway to West Africa’s healthcare economy, WHX is expected to welcome more than 8,000 professional visitors, over 500 exhibitors, participants from more than 40 countries and more than 30 expert speakers for three days of business networking, procurement discussions, investment opportunities and industry insights.

Digitisation in African healthcare is delivering real results: hospitals are centralising data, cutting administrative overheads and keeping patient journeys intact, from their first doctor’s visit through to their follow‑up. According to WHX Insights, digital health investments in Africa reached US$3.8 billion in 2023 and are expected to grow at 23.4% a year, reaching US$16.6 billion by 2030. From operating rooms in Lagos to rural clinics in Kigali, hospitals are leveraging technology to transform healthcare delivery, enabling more accurate diagnoses, reducing operational costs, and extending quality care to previously underserved communities.

Nigeria’s healthcare market, serving a population of over 230 million, is undergoing a structural shift, driven by an increasing demand for quality medical equipment, diagnostics, and digital‑health infrastructure. At the same time, the government’s Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and Medipool‑style pooled‑procurement platforms are creating new, centralised routes for suppliers to access public‑sector contracts at scale. This evolving landscape is transforming Nigeria into a high‑value procurement hub for device manufacturers, diagnostics firms and digital‑health providers across the region and beyond.

WHX will highlight how digitisation is delivering tangible returns on investment in African hospitals. From integrated electronic health records and AI‑assisted imaging to smart lab workflows, suppliers will demonstrate how connected technologies reduce operational costs, shorten turnaround times, and improve patient outcomes. These platforms are increasingly attractive to Nigerian hospitals and procurement bodies who seek long‑term value, not just upfront price, when outfitting diagnostic centres and treatment facilities.

“As a leading platform for product discovery, WHX lets buyers explore and compare the full spectrum of healthcare and diagnostics products: from essential consumables to advanced laboratory and diagnostic systems, with every supplier selected for direct relevance to the West African market. By strengthening medical trade across West Africa, WHX helps accelerate procurement, unlock new supply chains, and scale innovations that widen access to quality care,” said Njide Ndili, President, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, the leading private sector healthcare coalition established to strengthen coordination, advocacy and industry development across the healthcare value chain. “The Healthcare Federation is proud to be a partner to WHX and convenes the Healthcare Market Access & Policy Leadership Forum for policy makers and the private sector during the three-day exhibition.”

WHX brings together Nigeria’s and West Africa’s most influential healthcare buyers, hospital managers, laboratory directors, and government‑linked procurement bodies with a curated selection of global and regional suppliers. Key sectors represented will include diagnostics, medical imaging, healthcare infrastructure, laboratory technologies, medical devices, IT solutions, wellness products, orthopaedics, physiotherapy, and healthcare services.

New features at WHX include an integrated Lab Zone, showcasing diagnostics, equipment, and consumables with live demonstrations, hands-on workshops, expert insights and buyer matchmaking to drive commercial outcomes. WHX Connect is a curated distributor networking programme that brings together verified distributors specialising in pharma, lab equipment, medical devices, and consumables with key exhibitors to enable meaningful business connections across the healthcare supply chain.

The 2026 edition of WHX will share insights that matter across three dynamic partner-led forums — the Healthcare Market Access & Policy Leadership Forum on 2 June, under the theme “Enabling Market-Ready Health Systems: The Role of Diagnostics, Digital Infrastructure, and Human Capital” and in partnership with the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria; The Hospital Investment & Buyer Leadership Forum, held in collaboration with ABCHealth on 3 June; and the Heads of Laboratory Forum on 4 June, held in partnership with the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria —creating opportunities for market expansion and strategic partnerships. Each Leadership Forum gathers the region’s top healthcare leaders to spark real change in policy, investment, and decision‑making across Nigeria and West Africa.

“When WHX convenes in Lagos next week, it will be a real moment for the region — we’re bringing together buyers, suppliers, investors and policy leaders in one place to get deals done and ideas moving. WHX isn’t just an exhibition; it’s a hub and a connector that accelerates collaboration across West Africa’s healthcare value chain, opening immediate opportunities for procurement, partnerships and innovation that will improve access and outcomes across the region,” said Tom Coleman, Portfolio Director – Healthcare, Informa Markets.

The WHX portfolio includes three key healthcare events in Africa, held in Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Lagos. These events form a unified platform that connects global brands with regional distributors.

  

Categories: Health