Tinubu Appoints Obi as Chairman of new agency

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Obi Adigwe as the National Coordinator of the newly created National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO).

The new office will be based in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare and is designed to serve as a national coordination platform for Nigeria’s digital health system.

It will support existing agencies rather than replace them, while working to unify public and private health institutions under shared standards and systems.

It will also drive the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025.

President Bola Tinubu said the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen a secure, data-driven health system that improves service delivery across the country.

Dr Obi Adigwe, the newly appointed National Coordinator, currently serves as Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development.

He has led several science and innovation projects, including work linked to artificial intelligence, technology transfer, and pharmaceutical development.

His previous roles include coordinating major funding initiatives such as a ¥300 million nanotechnology grant and an €18 million European Union research grant, as well as supporting Africa’s first API training facility through Afreximbank support.

The office will be guided 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, Mr Olaniyi Yusuf.

Other members include the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Health, representatives from the National Information Technology Development Agency, heads of key health agencies such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the National Health Insurance Authority, and representatives from state health commissioners across the six geopolitical zones, alongside industry and community stakeholders.

The Federal Government expects the new office to improve coordination across Nigeria’s health sector, strengthen digital systems, and support better health outcomes nationwide in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.