President Tinubu Announces Fresh Appointment Into NHTDAO

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) and the appointment of Dr Obi Adigwe as the pioneer National Coordinator.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a statement on Friday.

The agency will be located in the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare.

NHTDAO will be a national meta-platform for the orchestration of the country’s digital-health agenda.

It will be in addition to, not instead of, the current statutory responsibilities of the relevant departments and agencies.

It will also align and strengthen the public and private institutions across the health system, define the standards that link them, and operationalise the National Digital Health Architecture, approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.

The National Coordinator, Dr Adigwe, as Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, has leveraged science to catalyse interventions in artificial intelligence, translational research and technology transfer.

He coordinated major projects including the ¥300m Nanotechnology grant and AFREXIMBank grant for Africa’s first API Training Facility. He led the creation of the roadmap that formed the basis of a €18 million EU grant, the largest in Africa for the thematic area. During the last pandemic, Adigwe globally highlighted African science by conducting the first analysis in the world to disprove claims about the Covid Organics preparation.

The Office’s Steering Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight is comprised of:

• Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, Minister of Health and Social Welfare (Co-chair)

• Mr Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (Co-chair)

•Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare (Alternate Co-Chair)

• Ms Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

• Mr Idris Alubankudi Saliu, Special Adviser to the President on Technology and Digital Economy

• Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator, SWAp Coordination Office

• Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative to Unleash Healthcare Value Chain

• Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency

• Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director General, National Health Insurance Scheme

• Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

• Delegate, National Information Technology Development Agency

• Six representatives of the State Commissioners of Health drawn from each of the six geopolitical zones

• Pharm Hamza Buhari, Industry and Community Stakeholder

Tinubu said NHTDAO will fast-track Nigeria’s progress to a secure, interoperable and data-driven health system that enhances outcomes for all citizens, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.