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, and appointed Dr. Obi Adigwe as its pioneer National Coordinator.
News Point Nigeria reports that the new office will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. The Presidency said the NHTDAO will serve as a national coordinating platform for health technology and data analytics, providing strategic leadership for Nigeria’s digital health ecosystem while complementing, rather than replacing, the statutory responsibilities of existing health institutions and agencies.
The approval was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the office would harmonise and strengthen collaboration among public and private institutions across the healthcare sector, establish standards for interoperability, and oversee the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
According to the statement, the establishment of the office is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, integrated and data-driven healthcare system capable of improving health outcomes for citizens in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
President Tinubu also appointed Adigwe, the current Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), as the pioneer National Coordinator of the new office.
The Presidency highlighted Adigwe’s record in promoting science, technology and innovation within Nigeria’s healthcare sector, noting that he has championed initiatives in artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer.
It stated that Adigwe coordinated several major projects, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an AFREXIMBank-supported project that established Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Training Facility.
The statement further noted that Adigwe led the development of a roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant—the largest awarded in Africa for the thematic area—and gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for conducting what it described as the world’s first scientific analysis debunking claims surrounding the Covid Organics herbal preparation.
To provide strategic oversight for the new office, President Tinubu also approved the constitution of a multi-stakeholder 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, Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf.
Other members of the committee include the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, who will serve as Alternate Co-chair; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms. Kachollom Daju; the Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy, Mr. Idris Alubankudi Saliu; and the National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office, Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq.
Also appointed to the committee are the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chain, Dr. Abdu Mukhtar; the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina; the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri; the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); six representatives of State Commissioners of Health—one from each geopolitical zone—and Pharm. Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
The Presidency expressed confidence that the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office would strengthen digital innovation across Nigeria’s health sector and significantly improve the use of technology and data in healthcare planning, service delivery and policy implementation nationwide.
