President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), a new institution aimed at driving Nigeria’s digital health transformation, with Dr. Obi Adigwe named as its pioneer National Coordinator.
The approval was announced in a statement issued on Friday by his spokesman, Chief Bayo Onanuga.
He said the office will operate under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
Tinubu said the NHTDAO is intended to serve as the central coordinating body for health technology and data analytics in Nigeria.
It explained that the agency will provide strategic direction for the country’s digital health ecosystem while working alongside existing health institutions without taking over their statutory responsibilities.
The new office is expected to promote stronger collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders in healthcare, develop interoperability standards, and supervise the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture endorsed by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
The Presidency noted that the initiative is designed to hasten the country’s shift to a secure, integrated and data-driven healthcare system capable of improving health outcomes and supporting the objectives of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
President Tinubu also appointed Adigwe, who currently serves as Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), to head the office as its first National Coordinator.
According to the statement, Adigwe has distinguished himself in advancing science, innovation and technology within the health sector, particularly through initiatives involving artificial intelligence, technology transfer and translational research.
It added that he coordinated several landmark projects, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an AFREXIMBank-backed initiative that led to the establishment of Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Training Facility.
The statement further highlighted his leadership in developing a roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant—the largest awarded in Africa within the thematic area. It also credited him with leading what it described as the world’s first scientific analysis that debunked claims surrounding the Covid Organics herbal preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To oversee the activities of the NHTDAO, President Tinubu approved the constitution of a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee. The committee will be jointly 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 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; six representatives of State Commissioners of Health, one from each geopolitical zone; and Pharm. Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
The Presidency expressed optimism that the newly established office would deepen the application of digital innovation across the health sector and enhance the use of technology and data in healthcare planning, service delivery and policy formulation nationwide.
