Health
Tinubu unveils National Health Technology Office
By Stephen Angbulu
President Bola Tinubu on Friday approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office.
The President also appointed a former Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Dr Obi Adigwe, as the pioneer National Coordinator of the agency.
“The agency will be domiciled in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare,” a statement signed Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said.
Onanuga said the agency will serve as a meta-level national platform for coordinating the country’s digital health agenda.
“It will reinforce, not replace, the existing statutory functions of relevant departments and agencies.
“It will also harmonise and empower the 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,” the statement read.
The Presidency said Adigwe would bring to the role a track record of leveraging science to drive interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer, built during his tenure as the NIPRD DG.
Onanuga added that Adigwe also coordinated major projects including a ¥300m Nanotechnology grant and an AFREXIMBank grant for Africa’s first API Training Facility, and led the roadmap development that underpinned an €18m European Union grant, the largest on the continent for that thematic area.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, he undertook what was described as the world’s first analysis debunking claims about the Covid Organics preparation, drawing global attention to African scientific capacity.
“The Office’s Steering Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight, will be co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr Olaniyi Yusuf,” the statement further read.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, will serves as Alternate Co-chair.
Other members are Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ms Kachollom Daju; Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy, Mr Alubankudi Saliu; National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; and National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chain, Dr Abdu Mukhtar.
Also on the committee are Dr Muyi Aina who is the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency; Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority; the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; a representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency; six representatives of State Commissioners of Health, one from each of the six geopolitical zones; and Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
“The President expects NHTDAO to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that improves outcomes for all citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration,” said Onanuga.
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