Nigeria: Nigerian Ai Scientist to Roll Out Software That Cuts MRI Time By 90 Percent

What the report says

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian AI researcher, Mary-Brenda Akoda, says she plans to introduce her medical imaging software, GenMRI, in Nigeria and the UK in the second half of 2027. The report, published by This Day and distributed by AllAfrica, says Akoda is the founder of GenScan AI and was speaking in Lagos during a session with winners of the 2026 NLNG Nigeria Prize and journalists.

According to the article, GenMRI is designed to speed up MRI scans on existing machines, with the aim of reducing backlogs, lowering waiting times and making imaging more accessible without hospitals needing to buy new equipment. Akoda said the tool could cut some scans from about 20 minutes to two minutes, and longer scans from an hour to around six minutes. She said this could help hospitals scan more patients per day and reduce the need for repeat scans and sedation, especially for children, infants and older patients.

The report says the system was built and tested using thousands of MRI images, including cardiac and knee scans, and was reviewed in an early blinded assessment with a consultant radiologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust in the UK. The article states the radiologist found the AI-enhanced images diagnostically equivalent to conventional ones in the cases assessed. As context, the piece highlights the wider strain on diagnostic services, noting that delays in imaging can affect time-sensitive conditions such as stroke and cancer.