President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) and appointed Dr Obi Adigwe as its pioneer National Coordinator.
The new office will operate under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and will serve as the national platform for coordinating Nigeria's digital health agenda.
According to the Presidency, the NHTDAO is designed to strengthen, rather than replace, the statutory responsibilities of existing health institutions and agencies. It will coordinate and empower public and private sector stakeholders across the healthcare system, establish interoperability standards and drive the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
Dr Adigwe, who currently serves as Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), has led several science and innovation initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer.
He coordinated major projects, including the ¥300 million Nanotechnology grant and the AFREXIMBank grant that established Africa's first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Training Facility. He also led the development of the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant, the largest awarded in Africa for the thematic area. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Adigwe gained international recognition after leading what was described as the world's first analysis debunking claims surrounding the Covid Organics preparation.
The Office's Steering Committee, which will provide strategic direction and oversight, is co-chaired by Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Mr Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Other members include Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare; Ms Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; Mr Idris Alubankudi Saliu, Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy; Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office; Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain; Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency; Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority; the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency; six representatives of state commissioners of health, one from each geopolitical zone; and Pharm Hamza Buhari, representing industry and the community.
President Tinubu said the establishment of the NHTDAO is expected to accelerate Nigeria's transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven healthcare system that delivers improved health outcomes for citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.
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