President Tinubu has appointed Obi to head the newly created NHTDAO.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Obi Adigwe as the National Coordinator of the newly established National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), a strategic body created to coordinate Nigeria’s digital health ecosystem.
The National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office will operate from the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and is expected to serve as the country’s central coordination platform for digital health initiatives.
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According to the Federal Government, the office is designed to complement, rather than replace, existing health institutions by promoting interoperability, harmonising standards, and strengthening collaboration across public and private healthcare providers.
The NHTDAO will also spearhead the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture, which was approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.
President Tinubu said the establishment of the office reflects his administration’s commitment to building a secure, technology-driven and data-enabled healthcare system capable of improving healthcare delivery and outcomes nationwide.
Obi, who currently serves as the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), brings extensive experience in science, pharmaceutical innovation, artificial intelligence, technology transfer and research management to the role.
During his career, he has overseen several major research and innovation programmes, including the coordination of a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant, an €18 million European Union-funded research initiative, and support for Africa’s first Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) training facility through Afreximbank funding.
The new office will be supervised by a steering committee co-chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), 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, representatives of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), heads of key health agencies such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), as well as representatives of state health commissioners from the six geopolitical zones, industry stakeholders and community representatives.
The Federal Government said the creation of the NHTDAO is expected to improve coordination across Nigeria’s healthcare sector, accelerate digital transformation, strengthen health data management, and enhance service delivery in line with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
