As part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance governance and improve service delivery, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is ramping up efforts to establish a one-stop-shop portal for all government services. This initiative aligns with the President’s directive to digitize 75% of government services by 2027, a target actively pursued by stakeholders.
The progress of this digital transformation was highlighted during a meeting between NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, and a delegation from the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria, led by Ambassador Ivan Kholostenko, at the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja. The discussions centered on potential collaborations between Nigeria and Ukraine to enhance productivity, transparency, and trust in government processes.
Despite previous efforts to establish a centralized e-government portal, such as OneGov.net, NITDA has been instrumental in designing standards, guidelines, and implementation strategies for digital governance. Inuwa emphasized that renewed commitment and extensive research into global best practices have rekindled the drive to realize this objective.
Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of NITDA and the Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, during a courtesy visit to NITDA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
“We have been studying how the UK, Kenya, and other countries have successfully implemented unified digital government service platforms. While their models may not be directly transferable, we can learn from their experiences to develop a framework suited to Nigeria,” Inuwa stated.
To ensure a sustainable and legally backed initiative, Inuwa proposed introducing legislative frameworks to facilitate digital transformation. He noted that several models allow government agencies to provide services through an Application Programming Interface (API), while others operate exclusively through designated legal-backed portals.
“If we want to achieve this, we need to put the necessary laws in place and begin the legislative process to facilitate a smooth and effective digital transformation,” he added.
Furthermore, NITDA is collaborating with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to align with global digital governance standards. This engagement is expected to provide valuable insights into structuring Nigeria’s digital transformation roadmap.
“This initiative is a critical step toward enhancing efficiency, reducing corruption, and promoting transparency in government operations. By leveraging global best practices and aligning them with national policies, Nigeria can create a smart, seamless, and citizen-friendly government service experience,” Inuwa concluded.
In his remarks, Ambassador Kholostenko highlighted Ukraine’s success with its Diia application, a digital platform integrating state registers and databases to provide all government services in one place.
“We are interested in expanding and assisting other countries in developing digital governance systems. Our goal is to reduce bureaucracy, minimize service delivery time, and mitigate corruption risks by limiting human-to-human interactions,” Kholostenko stated.
With strategic partnerships and legal frameworks in place, NITDA’s digital governance initiative is poised to revolutionize public service delivery, ensuring a more transparent and efficient government for Nigerians.
