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 office will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Friday in Abuja.
According to Onanuga, the NHTDAO will serve as a national platform for coordinating Nigeria’s digital health agenda.
It will reinforce, rather than replace, the statutory functions of existing health institutions by harmonising public and private sector initiatives.
It will also set interoperability standards and drive the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
The presidency noted that Adigwe, the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), had used science to drive interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer.
He also coordinated major projects, including the ¥300 million Nanotechnology Grant and the Afreximbank grant for Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Training Facility.
Onanuga said Adigwe also led the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant, the largest on the continent for the thematic area.
He added that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he globally showcased African science by conducting the world’s first analysis debunking claims surrounding the COVID Organics preparation.
The presidency said the office’s Steering Committee, which will provide strategic direction and oversight, would be co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr Olaniyi Yusuf.
Other members include the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms Kachollom Daju; Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy, Mr Idris Saliu.
Others are; the National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chain, Dr Abdu Mukhtar; Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina and Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri.
Also in the committee are; the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry; a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency; six representatives of state commissioners for health, one from each geopolitical zone; and Mr Hamza Buhari, representing industry and the community.
Tinubu said the office is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that improves healthcare outcomes for all citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
