Nigeria advocates Storytelling Initiatives to Deepen Citizen Involvement in Governance

The Nigerian government has advocated for storytelling initiatives as key to empowering its citizens to enhance trust and participation in governance.

This initiative is built on the understanding that storytelling has the power to break down barriers and build trust between citizens and their government and to hold leaders accountable, shape policy decisions, and contribute to the country’s development.

The Managing Director of Nigeria’s ICT Communications Technology Services Provider ,Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Ltd, Professor. Ibrahim Adeyanju, said this during the 1st edition of the 2025 DevsInGovt monthly programme in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The event which was themed “Data Storytelling: Harnessing the Power of Data Visualisation to Enhance Citizen Trust” was in partnership with Data Science Nigeria (DSN) and Microsoft.

The programme was supported by Galaxy Backbone Limited and the World Bank.

Professor Adeyanju said transforming raw data into insights would drive decision-making, accountability, and governance trust in this era where data is abundant.

He noted that data visualisation was not just about presenting statistics, adding that it is about crafting narratives that empower citizens, enabling policy makers and strengthening the democracy.

“Trust is the currency of effective governance. Without trust, even the most ambitious policies and technological innovations struggle to achieve their desired impact.

“Through data storytelling and visualisation, we have the opportunity to bridge the gap between information and understanding, forcing greater engagement and participation from the people we serve.”

He underscored the importance of building the platform, analysing data sets, and improving citizen services, which had the power to shape governance and drive meaningful impact in the country.

Adeyanju commended participants contribution and encouraged them to leverage on data visualisation as a tool for transparency, efficiency, and progress, adding that no single institution can achieve digital transformation alone.

“It takes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective vision for change, this is why we are excited to welcome this month’s partners, that is Data Science Nigeria, and Microsoft,” Adeyanju said.

The Director of Government Affairs, Microsoft, Nonye Ujam, who spoke on “The Opportunity of Expanding AI to Everyone in Nigeria” said collaborating with the government was about AI diffusion.

Talking about adoption of technology, Ujam said this initiative among others would give public servants a platform to join the conversation and really participate very keenly in the AI opportunity, which is critical.

“It is really about us empowering people in a way that makes sense for the way that they do their work and the way that they’re able to deliver value wherever they find themselves.”