The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has taken a major step toward strengthening evidence-based policymaking with the commencement of a stakeholder validation process for a national framework that will measure the impact of digital technologies on Nigeria’s economy.
The initiative was unveiled during the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Workshop on the Indicators and Measurement Framework for the National Research Study on the Impact of Digital Technologies on Nigeria’s Economy: Key Growth Indicators, Gaps and Future Outlook, held at the e-Government Training Centre of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Abuja.
The workshop brought together representatives from government ministries and agencies, regulatory institutions, academia, the private sector, development partners and the research community to review and validate a comprehensive framework that will guide a nationwide assessment of Nigeria’s digital transformation and its contribution to economic development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, represented by the Director of the Special Duties Unit, Mr. Olawumi Oladejo, emphasised that building a globally competitive digital economy requires more than technology deployment. According to him, sustainable digital transformation depends on reliable data, credible evidence and strong institutional collaboration.
He noted that Nigeria has made significant progress in areas such as digital payments, broadband penetration, digital public services, innovation ecosystems and digital entrepreneurship. However, he observed that the absence of a harmonised national measurement framework has made it difficult to accurately evaluate the impact of these investments, identify existing gaps and effectively prioritise future interventions.
Inuwa explained that the national research study is designed to provide a credible evidence base for assessing the contribution of digital technologies to economic growth, job creation, innovation, financial inclusion, improved public service delivery and national competitiveness. He added that the initiative will also establish a unified framework for measuring digital transformation across sectors and institutions.
He further stated that the project aligns with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), particularly its focus on strengthening Nigeria’s technology research ecosystem through data-driven policymaking. He urged stakeholders to contribute actively to ensure that the framework is technically robust, practical and aligned with international best practices.
Chairman of the Technical Steering Committee and Director of Research and Development at NITDA, Dr. Saidu Mohammed Kumo, said although Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly, mechanisms for systematically measuring its impact on productivity, economic growth and social inclusion remain inadequate.
To address this challenge, he disclosed that a multidisciplinary team of researchers drawn from the country’s six geopolitical zones collaborated with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to develop a statistically sound and comprehensive measurement framework.
According to Dr. Kumo, the framework focuses on three major dimensions: digital infrastructure and access, digital capabilities and skills, and digital adoption alongside the enabling environment. These indicators will be applied across five strategic sectors—financial services, government services, e-commerce and digital trade, telecommunications, and digital health.
He revealed that the committee has developed 81 core indicators that will be used to evaluate the impact of digital technologies on businesses, governance and society. The validation workshop, he explained, provided stakeholders with an opportunity to review the proposed indicators, ensure they reflect sector-specific realities and close identified data gaps before nationwide data collection begins.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Statistician-General of the Federation, Mrs. Saadatu Hayatuddeen Auwal of the National Bureau of Statistics described digital technology as a critical driver of economic development. She stressed that effective measurement is essential for understanding its true contribution to national growth and reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to supporting the initiative through technical collaboration and the provision of reliable, policy-relevant statistics.
Also speaking, Mrs. Ezedozie Adaora Ifeyinwa, representing the Federal Ministry of Health, commended NITDA for identifying the health sector as one of the five pilot sectors in the study. She highlighted the growing importance of digital innovations—including electronic health records, telemedicine and data-driven disease surveillance—in improving healthcare delivery and emphasised the need for consistent measurement of their impact on health outcomes and economic development.
She also identified challenges such as fragmented health data systems, varying levels of digital maturity among healthcare institutions and data privacy concerns, while reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to working with NITDA and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and build a more integrated digital health ecosystem.
The workshop featured technical presentations on the draft Indicators and Measurement Framework covering the five pilot sectors: Digital Health, Financial Services, E-Commerce and Digital Trade, Telecommunications, and Government Services. Participants reviewed the proposed indicators, examined sector-specific methodologies and offered recommendations aimed at strengthening the framework ahead of the nationwide data collection exercise.
The workshop concluded with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to supporting the development of an institutionalised national digital economy measurement system that will provide credible evidence for policymaking, strengthen strategic planning, attract investment and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.