President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), a new agency designed to coordinate Nigeria’s digital health agenda.
The president also appointed the director-general of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Dr. Obi Adigwe, as the pioneer national coordinator of the office.
The presidency said on Friday that the office, which will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable, and data-driven healthcare system in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the NHTDAO will serve as a national coordinating platform for digital health, strengthening collaboration between public and private institutions without assuming the statutory responsibilities of existing agencies.
The statement explained that the new office would harmonise health technology initiatives nationwide, establish standards to connect institutions across the health sector, and operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
Tinubu also named Adigwe as the pioneer National Coordinator of the office, citing his record in leveraging science, artificial intelligence, translational research, and technology transfer to advance healthcare innovation.
As Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Adigwe coordinated several high-profile projects, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an Afreximbank-supported initiative that established Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) training facility.
He also led the development of the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant, described as the largest awarded in Africa within the thematic area, and gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for conducting what the presidency described as the world’s first scientific analysis debunking claims surrounding the Covid Organics herbal preparation.
To provide strategic direction and oversight for the new office, the president approved a steering committee co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Yusuf.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, will serve as alternate co-chair, while the committee also includes the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Kachollom Daju; the President’s Special Adviser on Technology and Digital Economy, Idris Alubankudi Saliu; the National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office, Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain, Dr. Abdu Mukhtar; the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina; and the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri.
Other members are the director of health planning, research, and statistics in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency; six representatives of state commissioners of health drawn from the six geopolitical zones; and Pharm. Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
The statement said the establishment of the office underscored the administration’s commitment to deploying technology and data-driven innovation to improve healthcare delivery and health outcomes for Nigerians.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
