Tinubu establishes National Health Technology Office, appoints Obi Adigwe as coordinator

Health, Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) to drive Nigeria’s digital health agenda and appointed Dr Obi Adigwe as its pioneer National Coordinator.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the new office will operate under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

The presidency said the NHTDAO will serve as the country’s central platform for coordinating digital health initiatives, strengthening collaboration across the public and private health sectors, and implementing the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.

It noted that the office would complement, rather than replace, the statutory responsibilities of existing government agencies by harmonising digital health standards and promoting interoperability across Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Adigwe, who currently serves as Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), was credited with leading several major scientific and technology-driven initiatives.

According to the statement, he coordinated projects including a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant, an Afreximbank-supported project for Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Training Facility, and the roadmap that secured an €18 million European Union grant for health research. He also gained international recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic for leading what the presidency described as the world’s first scientific analysis debunking claims surrounding the COVID Organics preparation.

The presidency also announced the constitution of a Steering Committee to provide strategic direction for the new office.

The committee 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, Mr Olaniyi Yusuf.

Other members include the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, representatives of key health and technology agencies, state commissioners of health, and industry stakeholders.

President Tinubu expressed confidence that the NHTDAO would accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a secure, interoperable and data-driven healthcare system capable of improving health outcomes nationwide, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.