The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has officially inaugurated a Multi-Stakeholder Coordinating Group aimed at institutionalising digital governance and enhancing inclusivity across Nigeria.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Inuwa highlighted that the initiative is a proactive response to Nigeria’s recent international recognition at the Open Government Partnership Summit in Spain, where the country secured two awards for excellence in digital governance.
According to him, the government is intensifying efforts to enhance digital governance through legal and regulatory frameworks, including the ongoing National E-Governance and Digital Economy Bill and the implementation of the Data Protection Act. He added that institutional tools such as interoperability frameworks and the Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture are already guiding digital transformation across government agencies.
“We’ve been working on the National E-Governance and Digital Economy Bill, we already have the Data Protection Act, and we have other instruments we use, like within NIDIA, like our interoperability framework, the Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture, and so on.”
“These provide governance for digital transformation. And that’s what led to us being recognised as a global state. So part of the responsibility is when we come back, we should all work together, not just as a government, but as a community, as an ecosystem, as Nigerians.”
The newly inaugurated group, he said, will promote collaboration among government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders, ensuring that digital transformation efforts are inclusive and far-reaching. He stressed the importance of extending digital opportunities to underserved communities, persons with special needs, children, and the elderly.
Inuwa also highlighted reforms in government IT project implementation, revealing that over ₦1.5 trillion worth of projects were reviewed, leading to savings exceeding ₦319 billion through improved oversight and transparency measures. He raised concerns about inefficiencies in past projects, noting that more than half failed to meet expectations due to poor planning and execution.
The NITDA chief emphasised the need to institutionalise policies and frameworks to ensure continuity beyond leadership changes. He added that digital transformation remains a key priority under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in enhancing governance and public service delivery.
He called on stakeholders to actively participate in the initiative and hold the government accountable, stressing that sustainable progress in digital governance can only be achieved through collective effort.
In her remarks, the National Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Nigeria, Dr Gloria K. Ahmed, commended NITDA for inaugurating the Digital Governance Multi-stakeholder Coordinating Group, describing it as a major step toward inclusive and collaborative governance reforms.
According to her, the initiative reflects a shared commitment to transparency, accountability, and citizen participation—core principles of the OGP framework.
She praised NITDA and the Dataphyte Foundation for their role in co-creating Nigeria’s National Action Plan IV (NAP IV), which earned global recognition at the OGP Global Summit 2025.
She explained that the draft NAP IV contains 12 commitments across eight thematic areas, with a strong focus on digital governance. Central to this is the development of a national Digital Public Infrastructure governance framework, including the Nigeria Data Exchange Platform, aimed at improving coordination of technology systems across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
The OGP coordinator emphasised that successful implementation of these commitments would depend on active stakeholder participation and shared ownership. She described the newly inaugurated coordinating group as a critical platform for aligning efforts and ensuring effective delivery.
Also speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships at NITDA, Dr Aristotle Onumo, described the initiative as a critical step toward building a transparent, collaborative, and citizen-focused digital ecosystem.
“The Coordination Group is not an option—it is a necessity,” Onumo said, adding that it will serve as a bridge between policy design and implementation while ensuring that diverse stakeholders contribute meaningfully to national digital initiatives.
Onumo said the launch of the group goes beyond forming a working committee, noting that it represents a shared national commitment to partnerships, accountability, and effective governance driven by technology.
He emphasised that Nigeria is increasingly positioning itself as a global leader in digital governance, citing recent international recognition as both an achievement and a call for greater responsibility.