The Federal Government has appointed Dr. Ibrahim Waziri Jr., an expert in cybersecurity and digital transformation, to the Nigeria Digital in Health Initiative (NDHI) Implementation Committee, a group of 20 members, marking a significant step towards digitizing and changing the department.

The effort seeks to improve patient experiences, safeguard patient data, digitalize health records, and improve health outcomes across the country.

With more than ten years of expertise in risk and compliance management, cybersecurity engineering, cyber governance, and secure implementation of digital transformation projects inside the US federal government, Dr. Ibrahim Waziri Jr. is an accomplished professional.

Currently employed at Microsoft, Waziri Jr. oversees the secure development of products utilized by the country’s national security agencies in his capacity as a senior cybersecurity program manager within the U.S. government mission engineering team.

At Marymount University, he teaches cybersecurity as an adjunct professor. In addition to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), Dr. Waziri Jr. has worked for the global security company RSA, the U.S. defense contractor Apogee Research, and the prestigious consulting firm Deloitte, where he oversaw the cybersecurity engineering, governance, risk, and compliance efforts of several U.S. Federal Agencies’ Digital Transformation initiatives, including those within the U.S. Health Sector, specifically the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Washington, DC.

Given his background in delivering Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity Engineering, Cloud Deployment, Cyber Governance, and Cyber Regulatory Implementations for a developed country such as the United States, Dr. Waziri Jr. is ideally suited to offer knowledgeable advice on how Nigeria should safeguard its efforts to digitize and transform its federal government sectors.

The involvement of Dr. Waziri Jr., a skilled cybersecurity professional with a track record of success, in Nigeria’s Digital Health initiatives demonstrates the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health information of its people and making sure that its Digital Health Transformation initiatives are sustainable.

During the inaugural event held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, emphasized the significance of the program as a turning point in the transformation of Nigeria’s health system.

The committee will be led by Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, in enacting meaningful modifications to data management practices in healthcare facilities.

According to him, “the digitalization of health records will improve patients’ experience, protect patients’ data, and improve patients’ health outcomes.

“Using this platform will improve the work life of health providers and aid policymakers and managers in improving their effectiveness and efficiency and holding other stakeholders accountable.”

According to Alausa, the Nigerian healthcare system had several difficulties in the past due to a lack of standard data gathering and management practices.

“It has hindered our ability to make decisions, constrained the growth of the health sector, and led to the wasteful use of resources. Because of this, it has become difficult to see the healthcare system in its whole.

“Our healthcare system further suffers from data fragmentation as only a small number of private institutions and federal institutions use Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Electronic Health Record (EHR) platforms to keep track of patient data, promote research, provide treatment, and manage operations and resources. While the majority still rely on rudimentary paper-based methods.”

Even if there are a few EMR/EHR solutions, according to him, none of them are designed to quickly and efficiently communicate patient data in real-time or to connect, gather, and manage data across institutions.

The healthcare system now has notable quality gaps as a result of this. Consequently, in order to transform healthcare delivery in our nation, the shift to a digital health infrastructure is not only a matter of choice but also a requirement.

“The Digital in Health Initiative will show that digitalization in health goes beyond EMR/HER platforms.

“We want to rebuild and reposition the digital health environment to include Data gathering; Data repository; Data servicing and Service regulation.

“The platform so created would be such that data can be easily validated and we shall start with an EMR system which is just a part of the overall digital ecosystem, Dr. Alausa stated.”

Under the leadership of Dr. Alausa, the committee is also chaired by Dr. Edem Adzogenu, vice chair; Drs. Ajuwon Adejuwon, Chris. Osa. Isokpunwu, Gbenga Ijaodola, Jimoh Salaudeen, Bodunde O. Onifade; Mr. Idris Albankudi; Mr. Lanre Lamina; Dr. Muyi Aina; Tajudeen Ibrahim and Kelechi Ohiri are others on the committee. The others are Leke Ojewale, Robert Cryer, Abubakar Yusuf, John Adebisi, Mr. Bode Pedro, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, and Dr. Lolade Adeyemi.