Tinubu approves national health technology, data analytics office, appoints Obi Adigwe as pioneer coordinator
President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) to coordinate Nigeria’s digital health agenda and appointed Obi Adigwe as its pioneer national coordinator.
The presidency announced the development in a statement issued on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy.
According to the statement, the new office will be domiciled in the office of the coordinating minister of health and social welfare and will serve as a national platform for coordinating the country’s digital health initiatives.
The presidency said the NHTDAO would reinforce, rather than replace, the statutory responsibilities of existing departments and agencies in the health sector.
It added that the office would harmonise and strengthen collaboration among public and private health institutions, establish interoperability standards, and oversee the implementation of the national digital health architecture approved by the national council on health in november 2025.
The statement said the office is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven healthcare system capable of improving health outcomes nationwide.
Adigwe, who currently serves as the director-general of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), has led several science and technology initiatives in the health sector.
The presidency said he spearheaded interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer, while coordinating major projects, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an AFREXIMBank grant that established Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Training Facility.
It also noted that Adigwe developed the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant—the largest in Africa for the thematic area—and conducted what it described as the world’s first scientific analysis debunking claims surrounding the Covid Organics preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To provide strategic direction and oversight, the office will be guided by a steering committee co-chaired by Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, and Olaniyi Yusuf, chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).
Other members include Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Iziaq Adekunle Salako; permanent secretary of the federal ministry of health and social welfare, Kachollom Daju; special adviser to the president on technology and digital economy Idris Alubankudi Saliu; national coordinator of the SWAp coordination office Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; national coordinator of the presidential initiative to unlock healthcare value chain Abdu Mukhtar; executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency Muyi Aina; director-general of the National Health Insurance Authority Kelechi Ohiri; the ministry’s director of health planning, research and statistics; a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); six representatives of state commissioners of health, one from each geopolitical zone; and Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
The presidency said Tinubu expects the NHTDAO to drive the country’s digital health transformation in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.
