The Federal Government has inaugurated the Steering Committee of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), with a mandate to strengthen coordination, interoperability, and the effective use of health technology and data across Nigeria’s health system.
A press release signed by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations of Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the inaugural meeting held at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Headquarters in Abuja, follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval in June 2026 for the establishment of the Office as a national platform to coordinate Nigeria’s digital health agenda and support implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture approved by the National Council on Health.
Co-Chairing the meeting, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigeria must move beyond simply digitizing health information to ensuring that securely stored and connected health data can generate new knowledge, support the development of new medical technologies, and ultimately improve patient care.
“The value of digitalization would be realized when data generated across the health system can be responsibly used to support clinical decision-making, research, innovation, and more efficient healthcare delivery,” Prof. Ali Pate said.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Honorable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare and Alternate Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said NHTDAO would provide a coordination mechanism for Nigeria’s growing digital health ecosystem.
Salako further stressed that the Office would complement, rather than replace, the responsibilities of existing departments, agencies, programs, and institutions, while helping address fragmentation among electronic medical record systems and establishing common standards to improve interoperability across the health system. He described digital health as an important enabler of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
NHTDAO intends to contribute to building a more connected, resilient, and people-centered health system, while advancing the broader objectives of the NHSRII.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom, said, “The growing scale and complexity of Nigeria’s health system make reliable and connected data increasingly important to effective decision-making.”
The Perm Sec. urged the Steering Committee to ensure technology ultimately delivers tangible value to Nigerians.
The Permanent Secretary also stressed the need to address interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, data governance, and patient confidentiality, while ensuring that digital transformation reduces rather than deepens inequalities, particularly for rural and underserved communities.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of NHTDAO, Dr. Obi Adigwe, said the Office will work with relevant government institutions and stakeholders to translate the National Digital Health Architecture into coordinated implementation, with emphasis on common standards, interoperability, and effective use of health data.
The Steering Committee brings together key stakeholders from the Federal Government, State governments, National Health Institutions, the private sector, and the Sector-Wide Approach to provide strategic direction and oversight for the Office.
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