Tinubu establishes National Health Technology, Data Analytics Office, names Obi as pioneer coordinator

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s healthcare sector through digital innovation.

The Presidency also announced the appointment of Dr. Obi Adigwe as the pioneer National Coordinator of the new office.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the NHTDAO will operate under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

The Presidency explained that the new office would serve as a high-level coordinating platform to strengthen the country’s healthcare system rather than take over the responsibilities of existing agencies.

“It will reinforce, not replace, the existing statutory functions of relevant departments and agencies,” the statement said.

“It will also harmonise and empower public and private institutions across the health system, set the standards that connect them, and operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.”

Dr. Adigwe, who previously served as Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), is expected to lead the implementation of the initiative.

During his tenure at NIPRD, he oversaw several health technology projects, including the management of a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant, an AFREXIMBank-supported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Training Facility, and the development of a roadmap for an €18 million European Union grant. He also gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for leading a scientific evaluation of the COVID Organics herbal preparation.

To provide policy direction 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 the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf.

Other members include the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, the Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy, the heads of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), as well as six representatives of state commissioners of health from the country’s six geopolitical zones.

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 Renewed Hope Agenda.

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