President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Obi Adigwe as the National Coordinator of the newly established National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO).
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Friday.
The office, which will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, is expected to serve as the national coordination platform for Nigeria’s digital health system.
According to the statement, the NHTDAO will complement the work of existing health institutions by promoting coordination and interoperability across public and private healthcare systems, rather than replacing existing agencies.
It said the office would also drive the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
The statement said the initiative formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen a secure, technology-driven and data-enabled healthcare system capable of improving service delivery nationwide.
Adigwe, who currently serves as the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), has led several initiatives in science, pharmaceutical research, technology transfer and artificial intelligence.
He also coordinated major research funding initiatives, including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an €18 million European Union research grant, while supporting the establishment of Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) training facility through support from Afreximbank.
The statement said the new office would be guided by a steering committee co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr Olaniyi Yusuf.
Other members of the committee include the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako; senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; representatives of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and heads of key health agencies, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The committee will also include representatives of state commissioners for health from the six geopolitical zones, as well as industry and community stakeholders.
The Federal Government expressed optimism that the office would strengthen coordination across the health sector, accelerate digital transformation and improve healthcare delivery in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
