Nigeria is taking bold strides toward leading Africa’s digital governance transformation, with a renewed focus on research, collaboration, and digital literacy as tools for inclusive national growth.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, made this known at the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) 2025), held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja. Themed “Shaping the Future of Digital Governance through Cooperation, Innovation, and Inclusion,” this year’s edition marks the first time the global conference is being hosted in West Africa.
Inuwa reaffirmed that Nigeria’s growing participation in global digital governance conversations aligns perfectly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasizes economic diversification through digitalisation, industrialisation, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation.
Describing the event as a “remarkable milestone” in Nigeria’s digital journey, the NITDA chief said the decision to host ICEGOV 2025 was driven by the vision of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who believes that meaningful national development must be anchored in research and capacity building.
“The Honourable Minister encouraged us to host workshops at ICEGOV 2024 because he strongly believes that a robust and sustainable digital economy depends on deep research, particularly in deep tech,” Inuwa recalled.
According to him, hosting ICEGOV 2025 reinforces Nigeria’s readiness to lead digital innovation efforts across the continent. He noted that the conference’s theme aligns with the Ministry’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan, titled “Accelerating Our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency.” The plan is anchored on five pillars: Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Trade, and Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital, all of which aim to build an inclusive and innovation-driven digital economy.
Inuwa emphasised that digital transformation goes beyond technology, it is about improving how government connects and serves its people. “Governance must meet citizens where they are, which today is online. Our goal is to build trust, efficiency, and better service experiences,” he said.
Highlighting NITDA’s efforts toward achieving nationwide digital inclusion, he listed several ongoing initiatives including the National Digital Literacy Framework, which seeks to ensure that every Nigerian acquires digital skills from childhood to adulthood; a collaboration with the Ministry of Education to integrate digital learning into school curricula; and a partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to train all public servants—over 24,000 of whom have already benefited.
He also pointed to nationwide programmes designed to extend digital training to market traders, transport operators, senior citizens, and faith-based communities, ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution reach every segment of society.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s continental vision, Inuwa stressed the importance of regional cooperation in achieving Africa’s digital self-determination.
“Our goal is to build the capacity, infrastructure, and right policies that will enable Africa to shape its own digital future. ICEGOV gives us the platform to learn, share, and grow together,” he concluded.
