Tinubu launches new health tech agency, appoints Obi Adigwe DG

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) as part of his Renewed Hope agenda aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The newly created agency will operate under the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the NHTDAO will serve as a national platform for coordinating Nigeria’s digital health agenda. It will reinforce, rather than replace, the statutory responsibilities of existing government departments and agencies.
The office is also expected to harmonise and strengthen public and private institutions across the health sector, establish standards that connect them, and implement the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
President Tinubu also appointed the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Obi Adigwe, to lead the new office.
Presidency sources credited Adigwe with using science to drive innovations in artificial intelligence, translational research, and technology transfer. They also noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he gained global recognition for conducting the world’s first analysis that debunked claims surrounding the Covid Organics preparation.
The steering committee for the NHTDAO includes:
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare (Co-Chair)
Olaniyi Yusuf, Chairman of the 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
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 Unlock Healthcare Value Chain
Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency
Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority
Director, Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Representative of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
Six representatives of the State Commissioners of Health, one from each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones
Pharm. Hamza Buhari, representing industry and community stakeholders.
The Presidency released the full announcement through its official statement, outlining the agency’s mandate to coordinate and advance Nigeria’s digital health transformation.