The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is accelerating efforts to establish a centralized digital portal for all government services in Nigeria by 2027, in line with the President’s directive to digitize 75% of government services, which will increase accessibility, efficiency, and transparency. NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, recently met with a Ukrainian group headed by Ambassador Ivan Kholostenko in Abuja to discuss potential partnerships on digital governance. The discussion focused on improving public confidence in government procedures, using technology to expedite service delivery, and taking inspiration from successful international models.
Along with earlier attempts to develop an e-government portal similar to OneGov.net, NITDA continues to lead the way in its frameworks for policy, implementation, and design. Inuwa underlined that although different countries have different models for digital governance, Nigeria can learn from international best practices, especially those of nations like Kenya and the United Kingdom. He emphasized the necessity of legislative frameworks that require government organizations to provide services via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) or digital portals. These frameworks would guarantee Sustainability and adherence to international standards by offering an organized method for digital transformation.
Aligning Nigeria’s digital governance with global best practices.
To this end, NITDA has engaged with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to bring Nigeria’s digital governance approach into line with global best practices. It is expected that this engagement will yield insightful information for organizing Nigeria’s plan for digital transformation. The initiative is regarded as an essential step in improving government operations’ efficiency, lowering corruption, and fostering transparency. By leveraging international best practices while adhering to domestic regulations, the country aims to establish an intelligent, smooth, and user-friendly digital government experience.
A major source of inspiration for Nigeria’s digital governance strategy is the Diia platform in Ukraine, which unifies all government services into a single digital ecosystem. Ambassador Kholostenko demonstrated how a well-designed digital platform may boost Productivity and public trust in government, using Diia as an example that could direct Nigeria’s development. The country hopes to replicate such success by creating an efficient, citizen-friendly digital government that reduces bureaucracy, enhances service delivery, and minimizes corruption. A key aspect of this initiative is promoting digital inclusion and seamless access to government services.
Government aims to build a digitally skilled workforce.
Inuwa specifically stated that digitizing government services is essential to Nigeria’s economic expansion, adding that the nation can use technology to execute policies and programs more effectively, promoting advancement and development. According to him, this is in line with the federal government’s goal of building a Digital Economy that benefits all Nigerians. The overall push for a centralized digital government portal and nationwide Digital Literacy reflects the country’s commitment to leveraging technology for national development. To complement the digital transformation agenda, the federal government has also commenced a digital Literacy training program for federal civil servants.
This initiative, which is being led by NITDA and the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, aims to give government workers the digital skills they need to be more productive and efficient. Understanding that people are at the heart of digital change, the program aims to cultivate a workforce with digital competency that can propel Economic Expansion and national advancement. NITDA emphasized that transforming the civil service into a dynamic, technologically advanced, and globally competitive workforce is crucial, adding that the vision is a key component of the Federal Service Commission’s strategy and implementation plan.
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As part of its broader plan to promote digital inclusion, the National Information Technology Development Agency has set the lofty goal of 70 percent digital literacy in Nigeria by 2027. This target will be pursued through initiatives like Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL), which seeks to equip citizens with critical digital skills. The agency aims to build a populace that is digitally literate and capable of utilizing technology for improved governance, innovation, and economic opportunity.