Nigeria’s diagnostic landscape is undergoing a quiet transformation.
Not long ago, accessing reliable tests outside a handful of major teaching hospitals meant long domestic travel or costly trips abroad for advanced scans, for those who could afford them.
Infrastructure was a major constraint.
Much of the available equipment was outdated, poorly maintained, or frequently out of service. Advanced imaging technology was scarce, and where it existed, demand often overwhelmed supply.
That picture is changing, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the Nigerian clinical laboratory services market is projected to grow from about $641 million in 2025 to $670.8 million dollars in 2026, and is forecast to reach $841.92 million by 2031, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 4.65% between 2026 and 2031.
That expansion did not happen on its own. Behind the sector’s steady growth are a group of chief executives and founders who have quietly redefined what diagnostic care looks like in Nigeria.
Here are the CEO’s of Nigeria’s major diagnostic centres
Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is the founder and Chief Medical Director of Medicaid Radio-Diagnostics & Clinics.
She is a paediatrician and the former First Lady of Kebbi State, Bagudu, holds over 30 years of experience in medical practice and healthcare entrepreneurship, including 18 years in the non-profit sector as a global cancer expert.
Dr. Bagudu earned her Bachelor of Medicine degree from Ahmadu Bello University and specialised in Pediatrics and Neonatology. She also holds a diploma in Tropical Child Health and a Master’s degree in Tropical Pediatrics from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom, and is a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), UK.
Her career includes leadership and advisory roles on numerous national and international boards, such as the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer (GIAHC), and the WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative Technical Working Group.
Medicaid Radio-Diagnostics & Clinics provides comprehensive diagnostic and healthcare services with a strong emphasis on early detection and treatment of cancer and pediatric conditions.
The company has two locations in Abuja, at Utako and the Wuse 2 branch at 2 Libreville Street.
