FG Inaugurates Steering Committee to Drive Digital Health Transformation
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Steering Committee of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO) as part of efforts to accelerate digital transformation and improve healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the inaugural meeting of the committee held at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Headquarters in Abuja.
Salako, who spoke on behalf of the co-chairmen of the committee, said the establishment of the NHTDAO, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would provide a coordination mechanism for advancing digital health transformation in the country.
He stressed that the office would complement, rather than replace, the responsibilities of existing departments, agencies, programmes and initiatives within the health sector.
According to him, the office would promote collaboration and synergy among stakeholders while coordinating the implementation of Nigeria’s approved digital health architecture, which has already been endorsed by the National Council on Health.
He said the architecture would provide a foundation for moving digital health from policy and documentation to practical implementation and measurable impact across the health system.
The Minister described digital health as an important enabler of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), noting that wider adoption of digital technologies was essential to achieving the objectives of the ongoing health sector reforms.
Salako also identified the fragmentation of electronic medical record systems deployed across health facilities as an area requiring urgent attention.
He noted that some existing systems were neither interconnected nor adequately standardised, stressing the need to establish and enforce minimum standards to ensure that digital health solutions adopted by facilities meet nationally agreed requirements.
He called on members of the Steering Committee and other stakeholders, including private-sector players, to work closely with the NHTDAO to strengthen Nigeria’s digital health ecosystem.
The Minister expressed confidence that effective coordination of health technology and data systems would support the development of smarter health facilities, improve interoperability and contribute to more efficient and responsive healthcare delivery.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said effective deployment of data analytics should go beyond producing routine reports to enabling government to anticipate health challenges, identify inequalities, allocate resources more efficiently, measure performance and improve health outcomes.
Kachollom called for an inclusive digital transformation that would reduce rather than deepen existing inequalities, particularly between urban and rural communities and other underserved populations.
She assured the committee of the Ministry’s commitment to providing the administrative and policy environment necessary for the office to succeed, while encouraging collaboration among relevant departments, agencies and programmes.
The Permanent Secretary urged members to ensure clarity of roles, efficient utilisation of resources and avoidance of unnecessary duplication.
She said the ultimate objective was to create a health information and technology ecosystem capable of functioning seamlessly across institutional boundaries.
Kachollom identified interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection, ethical use of artificial intelligence, data governance and patient confidentiality as critical areas requiring attention.
She stressed that increased digitalisation must be accompanied by measures to strengthen public confidence in the security and responsible use of health information.
Also speaking during the inauguration, Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf, who inaugurated the committee on behalf of the co-chairmen, expressed the hope that the NHTDAO would establish guidelines to promote interoperability, adoption and scaling of digital health solutions, as well as encourage private investment in Nigeria’s health sector.
Yusuf said the private sector had demonstrated its willingness to partner with government over the years, assuring that his organisation was ready to mobilise the Nigerian private sector to support and participate in the implementation of the initiative.
Members of the inaugurated Steering Committee include the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S. mni; Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. John Ovuoreye; Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Commissioner for Health, Ekiti State; Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority; and Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator, SWAp Office.
Others are Dr. Ekem Emmanuel James, Commissioner for Health, Akwa Ibom State; Dr. Haruna Buhari; Dr. Abdul Mukhtar, National Coordinator, PVAC; and Dr. Mohammad Lawal Gana, Commissioner for Health, Yobe State.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako; and Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf serve as co-chairmen of the committee.
