President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) to coordinate Nigeria’s digital health agenda and appointed Dr. Obi Adigwe as its pioneer National Coordinator.
The approval was announced on Friday, June 26, 2026, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The new office, to be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, will provide strategic oversight for Nigeria’s digital health ecosystem by harmonizing health data systems, promoting interoperability and strengthening collaboration across public and private healthcare institutions.
Rather than replacing existing agencies, the NHTDAO will coordinate their activities, establish operational standards and drive implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture, approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
Adigwe, the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), brings extensive experience in pharmaceutical research, artificial intelligence, technology transfer and health innovation.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Signs New NIMC Act, Ends 19-Year Identity Law
He has led major initiatives, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology research project, an Afreximbank-backed Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient training facility, and an €18 million European Union-funded research programme.
During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023), he also led research that helped counter misinformation surrounding COVID-19 treatment claims.
A steering committee has been constituted to guide the office’s operations. It will be 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, while the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, will serve as alternate co-chair.
The committee also includes senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, key health agencies, presidential advisers, representatives of state commissioners of health from the six geopolitical zones and private sector stakeholders.
The Presidency said the office is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that delivers improved healthcare outcomes in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.