Minister reaffirms FG’s commitment to electronic health records, data harmonisation
By Kunle Sanni –
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, says the federal government is intensifying efforts to deepen digital innovation across the health sector, with a major focus on electronic health records (EHRs), data harmonisation, and a national health information exchange.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 44th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Association of Health Records and Information Management Practitioners of Nigeria (AHRIMPN) in Abuja, Salako said digital transformation remains central to President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for the health sector.
He told delegates that the Ministry “continues to support initiatives that promote electronic health records (EHRs), data harmonisation, digital capacity building, and the establishment of a national health information exchange,” stressing that these reforms depend largely on the expertise of Health Information Management (HIM) professionals.
According to him, reliable health data is the backbone of effective planning, policy formulation, research, and accountability, making HIM practitioners crucial to national health delivery.
Salako said the government will sustain collaboration with AHRIMPN and the Health Records Officers Registration Board of Nigeria (HRORBN) to strengthen professional standards, enhance welfare, build digital skills, and ensure the ethical and secure use of health data.
He outlined ongoing partnerships under the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative, including digitisation of health records nationwide, standardisation for system interoperability, capacity building in data analytics and AI, and support for career progression within the profession.
The minister emphasised that digitalisation aims to empower—not replace—health workers across all levels of care, ensuring every facility can use modern tools for service delivery, reporting, and decision-making.
He urged practitioners to embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and blockchain, while maintaining professionalism and accuracy in health data management.
