UK, Nigeria deepen digital cooperation via benchmarking and knowledge exchange

*The United Kingdom and Nigeria advance their strategic partnership through a high-level international benchmarking and knowledge exchange tour, to focus on end-to-end clearance of Information Technology projects and procurement of public digital products and services in the country

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

The United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria are advancing their strategic partnership through a high-level international benchmarking and knowledge exchange tour in London.

These are focused on end-to-end clearance of Information Technology (IT) projects and procurement of public digital products and services in the West African country.

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The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), through its Digital Access Programme, hosted the programme in collaboration with leading UK digital governance institutions, including Government Digital Service (GDS), Public Digital, Crown Commercial Service (CCS), British Standards Institute, and the FCDO Cyber Policy Department.

The UK FCDO and Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency, in a joint statement, said the programme attracted senior officials from NITDA, Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited and Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), for a week-long engagement held November 23 – 28, 2025, in London.

The statement noted the programme builds on the UK–Nigeria Strategic Partnership’s pillars of economic development, governance reform, and technology cooperation.

It also ensures that both the UK and Nigeria could leverage digital innovation to drive inclusive growth and secured public services.

For Nigeria, this engagement will inform the enhancement of NITDA’s IT Project Clearance, improve procurement efficiency, and embed global best practices in cybersecurity, digital and data governance of public digital services, they stated.

The two countries said the bilateral engagement reinforced the UK’s role as a trusted partner for Nigeria’s inclusive digital transformation journey as well as open access to the UK technology supply chain for the Nigerian market.

NITDA’s Inuwa: Shared insights, expertise will strengthen Nigeria’s institutions, governance capacity

In his opening remarks at the programme, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abduallahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA, said: “At the heart of Nigeria’s reforms is our determination to improve government service delivery, reduce waste, strengthen cybersecurity, and build trust in public digital systems. “Modernising the IT Projects Clearance process, therefore, is a key enabler to achieving this vision.”

Represented by Dr. Usman Gambo Abdulahi, Director IT Project Clearance Unit at NITDA, Inuwa stated: “I commend the UK’s FCDO through the Digital Access Programme for its consistent support to Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.

“I thank UK Government and its various departments for agreeing to share insights and expertise that will certainly strengthen our institutions and our nation’s governance capacity.”

Ros Eales, FCDO’s Director for International Science and Technology, also said: “Nigeria is a key partner of the UK in the tech sector. Working with partner countries like Nigeria is to ensure that digital transformation works for all and is safe, secure, and sustainable.

“This becomes even more important in an era of rapid technological evolution, accelerated by AI, with all its benefits to reap and risks to manage.”

UK proud to stand as Nigeria’s key partner, says Baxter

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner, in Lagos, said: “The UK is proud to stand as a key partner to Nigeria, leveraging our expertise to drive knowledge exchange in digital governance and institutional reform.

“This technical collaboration underscores our longstanding commitment to Nigeria’s digital transformation and to building strategic partnerships that deliver shared economic growth for both nations.”

Alessandra Lustrati, Head of Digital Development in FCDO London, and global lead of the UK Digital Access programme (DAP), presented the Digital Development Strategy 2024-2030 to the Nigerian delegation.

Lustrati highlighted the importance of supporting best practices in the digital transformation of government, to ensure digital services are accessible, open, and citizen-driven, within a safe and secure digital environment.

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