FG Moves To Unify Nigeria’s Fragmented Digital Health Systems
Dr. Nafisat Makinɗe, Abuja
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Steering Committee of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), with the office expected to coordinate Nigeria’s digital health systems and address gaps in interoperability among electronic medical record platforms used by health facilities.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said this on Wednesday at the inaugural meeting of the committee in Abuja, describing the office as a coordination mechanism for implementing Nigeria’s approved digital health architecture. The NHTDAO was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 26, 2026, to coordinate the country’s digital health agenda and support the implementation of the National Digital Health Architecture, which was approved by the National Council on Health in November 2025. The development was contained in a statement signed by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, dated Sept. 16, 2026.
Salako said the NHTDAO would complement, rather than replace, the responsibilities of existing departments, agencies, programmes and initiatives in the health sector. He said the office would help move digital health from policy and documentation to implementation, while promoting greater collaboration among stakeholders.
The minister identified fragmentation among electronic medical record systems as a challenge, noting that some systems deployed in health facilities were not interconnected or adequately standardised. He called for minimum standards to ensure that digital solutions adopted by health facilities meet nationally agreed requirements.
Salako said digital health was an important enabler of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and called on committee members and other stakeholders, including the private sector, to work with the office. He said better integration of health technology and data systems would improve interoperability and contribute to more efficient and responsive healthcare delivery.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said data analytics should go beyond producing routine reports to help government anticipate health challenges, identify inequalities, allocate resources, measure performance and improve health outcomes. She called for an approach that would reduce rather than deepen disparities, particularly between urban and rural communities and other underserved populations.
Kachollom identified interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection, ethical use of artificial intelligence, data governance and patient confidentiality as key areas requiring attention. She urged the committee to establish clear roles, ensure efficient use of resources and avoid duplication among existing departments, agencies and programmes, saying greater digitalisation must be accompanied by safeguards for health information and public confidence.
Olaniyi Yusuf, who inaugurated the committee on behalf of the co chairmen, said the office should develop guidelines to promote interoperability, adoption and scaling of digital health solutions and encourage private investment in the sector. He said the private sector had demonstrated its willingness to partner with government and pledged his organisation’s support for mobilising private sector participation in the initiative.
The committee is co chaired by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and Olaniyi Yusuf. Other members include the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom; Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. John Ovuoreye; Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani; Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri; National Coordinator of the SWAp Coordination Office, Dr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel James; Dr. Haruna Buhari; Dr. Abdul Mukhtar, National Coordinator of PVAC; and Yobe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammad Lawal Gana.