***New agency to drive digital health, data integration, AI-powered reforms across Nigeria’s healthcare system

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), a new institution designed to spearhead Nigeria’s digital health transformation, with pharmaceutical researcher, Dr Obi Adigwe, appointed as its pioneer National Coordinator.

The new office, to be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, will serve as the country’s central platform for coordinating digital health initiatives, integrating health data systems, and driving technology-enabled reforms across the healthcare sector.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the office is intended to strengthen, not replace, the statutory mandates of existing health institutions by providing national coordination, setting interoperability standards, and ensuring seamless collaboration among public and private health stakeholders.

The statement said the office will operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025, providing the framework for a secure, interoperable, and data-driven healthcare ecosystem.

It noted that the NHTDAO is expected to harmonise digital health initiatives nationwide, improve data governance, accelerate innovation, and support evidence-based policymaking aimed at improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Tinubu also named Adigwe, the current Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), to lead the new office.

The Presidency described Adigwe as a scientist with an established record in deploying research and technology to strengthen healthcare systems.

During his tenure at NIPRD, he championed initiatives in artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer, while coordinating several high-impact international projects, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)-supported establishment of Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Training Facility.

He also led the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant for pharmaceutical research, the largest of its kind on the continent, and gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for leading what was described as the world’s first scientific analysis debunking claims surrounding the “Covid Organics” herbal preparation.

To provide strategic direction and oversight, President Tinubu approved a high-level 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 (NESG), Mr 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; Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy, Idris Alubankudi Saliu; heads of key health institutions; representatives of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); six state commissioners of health representing the geopolitical zones; and an industry representative.

The President expressed confidence that the new office would accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable, and technology-driven health system capable of delivering improved healthcare outcomes for citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.