The Federal Government has inaugurated the Steering Committee of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office to accelerate digital transformation in Nigeria’s health sector and improve coordination, standardisation and integration of health technology and data systems.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday at the inaugural meeting of the committee held at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja.

Salako, who spoke on behalf of the co-chairmen of the committee, said the establishment of the National Health Technology and Data Analytics Office (NHTDAO), approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would provide a coordination mechanism for advancing Nigeria’s digital health transformation.

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 the minister, the office would promote greater collaboration among stakeholders and coordinate the implementation of Nigeria’s approved digital health architecture.

He said the architecture, which had been approved by the National Council on Health, would provide a foundation for moving digital health from policy and documentation to practical implementation and measurable impact across the health system.

Salako described digital health as an important enabler of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, stressing that deeper penetration of digital technologies across the health system was essential to achieving the objectives of the ongoing health sector reforms.

The minister also raised concerns over fragmentation among electronic medical record systems currently deployed in health facilities, noting that some of the systems were neither interconnected nor adequately standardised.

He stressed the need to establish and enforce minimum standards to ensure that digital solutions adopted by health facilities met nationally agreed requirements.

“There is a need to address the fragmentation among electronic medical record systems currently deployed in health facilities and ensure that digital solutions adopted by health facilities meet nationally agreed standards,” Salako said.

He called on members of the steering committee and other stakeholders, including the private sector, to work 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., said effective use of data analytics should go beyond producing routine reports to helping the government 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 required for the office to succeed, while encouraging collaboration among relevant departments, agencies and programmes.

The Permanent Secretary urged members of the committee to ensure clarity of roles, efficient utilisation of resources and avoidance of unnecessary duplication.

She said the ultimate objective was to establish a health information and technology ecosystem capable of working seamlessly across institutional boundaries.

Kachollom stressed that the committee’s mandate extended beyond developing digital platforms and deploying technologies, saying it was fundamentally about contributing to a modern, resilient and people-centred health system capable of responding effectively to current and emerging health challenges.

She identified interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection, ethical use of artificial intelligence, data governance and patient confidentiality as critical areas requiring attention.

The Permanent Secretary warned that increased digitalisation must be accompanied by measures capable of strengthening public confidence in the security and responsible use of health information.

She congratulated members of the committee on their appointment and urged them to approach the assignment with a strong sense of purpose, collaboration and national responsibility.

Also speaking, Olaniyi Yusuf, who inaugurated the committee on behalf of the co-chairmen, expressed the hope that the NHTDAO would develop guidelines to promote interoperability, adoption and scaling of digital health technologies, while also encouraging private investment in the health sector.

Yusuf said the private sector had demonstrated its willingness to partner with government over the years and pledged his organisation’s readiness to mobilise the Nigerian private sector to support and participate in the implementation of the initiative.

The inaugurated members of the steering committee include the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S.; Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr John Ovuoreye; Dr Oyebanji Filani, Commissioner for Health, Ekiti State; Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority; Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, National Coordinator, SWAp Office; and Dr Ekem Emmanuel James, Commissioner for Health, Akwa Ibom State.

Others include 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, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate; Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako; and Olaniyi Yusuf serve as co-chairmen of the committee.