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.
