The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated a Multistakeholder Coordination Group to cement Nigeria’s position as a global leader in digital governance and ensure the sustainability of its recent technological reforms.
At the inauguration in Abuja, NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa warned against complacency, noting that while Nigeria has received international acclaim for its digital strides, the country must now intensify efforts to maintain that momentum.
He attributed recent successes to robust frameworks like the National E-Governance and Digital Economy Bill and the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
However, Inuwa highlighted a sobering statistic: historically, over 56% of IT projects in the public sector have failed due to poor planning.
To combat this, NITDA is enforcing stricter guidelines after reviewing ₦1.5 trillion in IT projects last year, a process that has already saved the federal government over ₦319 billion.
The creation of this coordination group is a mechanical necessity for the transition from “Digital Policy” to “Digital Public Infrastructure” (DPI).
While Nigeria has successfully written the rules of the game through various Acts and frameworks, the actual implementation often falters at the inter-agency level.
By bringing in stakeholders like the Open Government Partnership (OGP), NITDA is attempting to solve the “silo effect” where different government departments run incompatible systems.
The focus on the Nigeria Data Exchange Platform is particularly critical; it represents the “plumbing” of digital governance that allows for seamless service delivery, such as verifying a citizen’s identity for a student loan or a healthcare benefit without redundant paperwork.
Furthermore, the emphasis on inclusivity, specifically targeting PWDs, children, and the elderly, reflects a shift toward “Human-Centric Digital Governance.”
As Nigeria pushes for a 95% digital literacy rate by 2030, the government recognizes that technology can inadvertently widen the inequality gap if not managed through a multistakeholder lens.
The involvement of civil society and the private sector ensures that the ₦319 billion in savings isn’t just a fiscal victory, but a fund that can be redirected toward bridging the digital divide in underserved communities.
