Nigeria’s collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) on HIV data systems has reshaped how the country delivers care, allocates resources, and ensures accountability in one of its largest public health programmes, Dr. Ibrahim Dalhatu, USCDC Deputy Director for Epidemiology and Strategic Information, has said.

Dalhatu, during the data systems session at the U.S. Embassy, focused on the role of data systems in strengthening Nigeria’s HIV response, said that while data has always been collected in Nigeria’s HIV programme, early systems were limited by paper-based tools and fragmented electronic platforms that could not support national-level decision-making.

“At the beginning of the HIV programme, paper-based systems were sufficient. But as the programme expanded, those systems became inefficient and difficult to manage,” he noted.

According to him, Nigeria later adopted electronic medical record systems at the facility level, which improved patient management locally but remained isolated from one another.

“These systems worked within individual facilities, but they could not speak to each other. That meant data could not be aggregated for higher-level planning and oversight,” he said.

Underscoring the urgency of timely interventions, Dalhatu said the gap informed the development of the National Data Repository (NDR), a centralised platform supported by the USCDC in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria.

“The NDR aggregates de-identified patient-level data from health facilities nationwide, allowing programme managers and policymakers to analyse trends, monitor outcomes and adjust strategies in near real time.

“All personal identifiers are removed, but information on treatment outcomes, retention, and viral suppression is retained, making the data both secure and actionable,” Dalhatu explained.

He said the system has improved decision-making across the HIV programme, enabling rapid identification of gaps and emerging issues, adding, “If patterns show that patients are dropping out of care in certain locations, interventions can be adjusted quickly”.

Beyond infrastructure, Dalhatu emphasised that the USCDC’s support has focused heavily on capacity building, which he noted includes training data collectors, analysts, programme managers, and senior decision-makers at national and sub-national levels.

“A data system is only effective if the people using it understand how to collect, analyse and apply the data,” he said.

The expert noted that maintaining data quality has been a major priority, with multiple layers of checks built into electronic systems to ensure completeness, accuracy, and consistency.

“There are automated checks at the point of data entry, validation processes within the system, and external reviews at state and national levels,” Dalhatu said.

He added that access to data is role-based, limiting opportunities for manipulation and ensuring confidentiality.

Dalhatu said data systems now play a critical role in resource allocation, helping prevent shortages and inefficiencies.

“Data tells us where services are needed, where targets are being met, and where additional resources are required. That improves efficiency and programme performance.”

On accountability, Dalhatu, who noted that HIV programmes depend largely on public and donor funding, making transparent use of resources essential, stressed, “Data provides evidence of what was planned, what was implemented, and what outcomes were achieved.

“That is how accountability is demonstrated”.

He described Nigeria’s HIV data system as the most robust and sophisticated public health data system in the country, noting its influence beyond HIV.

“The skills and systems developed through HIV have strengthened responses to other diseases,” Dalhatu said.

He said the USCDC’s emphasis on science and data has helped Nigeria build a stronger, more accountable HIV programme with measurable improvements in patient outcomes.

“Data has transformed how HIV care is delivered in Nigeria; it has improved quality, accountability, and long-term sustainability,” Dalhatu noted.