The federal government states that it is undertaking a comprehensive digital transformation of Nigeria’s health system under the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, stated this at the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative’s national stakeholders meeting on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Salako described the initiative as a “decisive moment.”, saying that it will entail positioning data and technology as the backbone of healthcare reform.

The NDHI, launched in March 2024, aims to unify Nigeria’s digital health landscape by creating a modular, open and interoperable digital health services network.

Mr Salako said that the move aimed to overhaul the country’s fragmented healthcare data infrastructure.

The minister said that this would enable real-time tracking of disease outbreaks, streamline financing, improve immunisation coverage and empower innovators to build health apps that enhance care and create jobs.

He said digital tools are not a luxury but a necessity for frontline workers and policymakers, adding that the private sector, which delivers 60 per cent of healthcare services, must also be integrated into national reporting structures.

He said that the NDHI was anchored on three foundational pillars.

These components, Salako said, will power a new national health data space that supports clinical decision-making, public health surveillance, resource allocation and start-up innovation.

He urged state health commissioners and digital health focal persons to commit to practical steps and real timelines, stressing the need for coordination across all levels of government.

The NDHI, endorsed by the National Council on Health in November 2024, marks a shift from pilot programmes to a system-wide transformation.

Mr Salako described it as a national, not federal, initiative, calling on stakeholders across government, civil society and the private sector to take ownership.

“We must move from vision to execution. Let this meeting be remembered not just as a gathering but as the launchpad for building a smarter, stronger and more equitable health system for all Nigerians,” he said.

(NAN)