Tinubu establishes National Health Technology Office, appoints Obi Adigwe as coordinator
President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) to drive Nigeria’s digital health transformation and strengthen the country’s use of technology and data in healthcare delivery.
The President also appointed Dr Obi Adigwe as the pioneer National Coordinator of the newly created office, which will operate under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the office is expected to serve as the country’s central coordinating platform for digital health initiatives, ensuring greater collaboration across the public and private health sectors.
The statement explained that the NHTDAO will complement, rather than replace, the statutory responsibilities of existing government agencies and departments involved in healthcare administration.
It will also oversee the implementation of common standards to improve interoperability across the health system and coordinate the execution of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
The Presidency said the initiative is designed to enhance the integration of health technologies and data analytics into healthcare planning, service delivery and policy implementation.
Adigwe, who currently serves as Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, was selected to lead the office based on his experience in science, research, innovation and digital health.
During his tenure at the institute, he championed projects focused on artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer.
He also coordinated major initiatives, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an AFREXIMBank-supported project that established Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Training Facility.
The statement further noted that Adigwe led the development of a roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant for Africa, while also gaining international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for conducting what it described as the world’s first scientific analysis challenging claims surrounding the Covid Organics herbal preparation.
To provide strategic oversight for the new office, the Federal Government has constituted a steering committee co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Yusuf.
Other members include the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako; Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Kachollom Daju; the President’s Special Adviser on Technology and Digital Economy, Idris Alubankudi Saliu; and National Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq.
Also on the committee are the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain, Dr Abdu Mukhtar; Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina; Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri; the ministry’s Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics; and a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency.
The committee also includes six representatives of state commissioners for health, one from each geopolitical zone, and Pharm Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
The Presidency said the new office is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven healthcare system capable of improving health outcomes nationwide, in line with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
