Nigerian startups have fought the same battles: acquiring users, keeping them engaged, and finding ways to build loyalty without burning through incentives. Cashback works for a while. Discounts work for a while. But neither necessarily creates lasting relationships.
This is the idea behind ZOI, Wellahealth’s embedded healthcare infrastructure. Its latest move launching Femcare on the PalmPay app—offers an early glimpse of what healthcare could look like when it becomes part of the digital platforms Nigerians already use every day. Instead of asking people to download another health app, the approach is simple: integrate affordable health plans directly into apps they already trust.
Healthcare as part of everyday life
Access to healthcare in Nigeria is still constrained by cost and convenience. Most Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for medical services, while insurance coverage remains limited. Women, in particular, face recurring healthcare needs reproductive, hormonal, and sexual health concerns that make frequent access essential. Yet the cost and complexity of care often keep them from seeking services consistently.
Femcare aims to change that. Available on PalmPay, the plan offers structured healthcare support at ₦500 per month, with the first month free.
“Femcare is our contribution to this year’s International Women’s Day. By giving Nigerian women better access to healthcare, we are confident that we gain in multiple ways—healthier, more productive, thriving communities,” said Ikpeme Neto, founder of Wellahealth.
“The price point is deliberately accessible, but the bigger idea goes beyond affordability. When healthcare is embedded into the digital platforms people already use, access becomes less about searching for care and more about simply opening an app.”
The larger play: Embedded healthcare
At the heart of Femcare is ZOI, Wellahealth’s platform for embedding healthcare directly into digital ecosystems. The premise is straightforward: fintech apps, marketplaces, and consumer platforms already sit at the center of people’s financial and digital lives they are natural entry points for healthcare access.
Instead of building standalone products that struggle with adoption, ZOI allows health plans to live inside platforms that already reach millions of users.
“We’ve always believed that embedded healthcare is the future,” Neto said.
“Real access happens when healthcare becomes part of the digital products people rely on every day. That’s how you begin to democratize healthcare.”
Embedded healthcare offers more than convenience. It also represents a new revenue opportunity for digital platforms. Rather than relying solely on discounts or cashback to drive engagement, platforms can integrate health plans that deliver real, everyday value—unlocking recurring revenue while strengthening customer loyalty. The experience can also be customized to fit each platform’s users and business model.
A demonstration of what’s possible
From this perspective, Femcare is less a standalone product and more a proof-of-concept for the embedded healthcare model. Within the broader ZOI framework, Wellahealth envisions a future where digital products across sectors from fintech to marketplaces can embed healthcare offerings tailored to their users.
By reducing friction and moving healthcare closer to users, the approach could transform how Nigerians interact with health services. For an ecosystem constantly looking for the next layer of innovation, that shift may prove more significant than it first appears.
