NITDA, Abia State collaborate on enterprise reform, data-driven governance

*Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, reaffirms the agency’s commitment to supporting sub-national governments in building integrated, data-driven systems to enhance service delivery and drive sustainable growth across Nigeria

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting sub-national governments in building integrated, data-driven systems to enhance service delivery and drive sustainable growth in Nigeria.

ConsumerConnect reports NITDA said this commitment is in consonance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priority areas of economic reform, digital innovation, and improved governance in the West African country.

The Information Technology (IT) sector regulatory agency also noted it reinforced this commitment at the Future Enterprise & Data Architecture of Abia State workshop with the theme: “One Citizen, One Identity: Unlocking Data-Driven Governance”.

NITDA related that the high-level engagement attracted policymakers, technocrats, and development partners to chart a pathway toward a unified digital public sector anchored on interoperability and citizen-centric governance.

The Ministry of Budget and Planning organised the workshop, declared open by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, South-East Nigeria.

Governor Otto, represented by the Deputy Governor, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, stressed the initiative focused on strengthening interoperability among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to enhance revenue generation and improve service delivery across the state.

Speaking during a panel session titled “Breaking Silos, Building One Government,” Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA, represented on the occasion by Dr Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnership at the agency, emphasised that collaboration remains the cornerstone of successful digital transformation.

Inuwa stated: “One thing that is very clear is partnership and collaboration.

“If you want to take advantage of collective intelligence, then partnership is the key.

“If you want to succeed in building a unified government system, collaboration is the way to go.”

The Director-General emphasised that digital transformation is not merely about deploying technology but about transforming people and culture.

Resistance to change and entrenched institutional silos, he noted, could undermine even the most sophisticated technological frameworks if mindset shifts are not prioritised.

Inuwa also said: “Digital transformation is as much about people as it is about process and technology.

” If culture resists change, it can undermine strategy at every level.

“We must move from control to collaboration, and from isolation to integration.”

Highlighting NITDA’s strategic direction, the NITDA Chief Executive explained that the agency’s action plan prioritises digital literacy as a foundational pillar for national development.

Inuwa further disclosed that NITDA is targeting 70 percent digital literacy nationwide through structured interventions, including training 30 million Nigerians across formal and informal sectors using digital learning platforms deployed through community and institutional partnerships.

He said that digital education is being integrated into school curricula at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, while civil servants across the federal public service are undergoing digital capacity development programmes to enhance institutional efficiency and readiness for interoperable governance systems.

On significance of interoperability

As regards interoperability, Inuwa described it as “not optional but a necessity” for achieving data integrity, efficiency, and innovation in governance.

He explained that NITDA is developing a national interoperability framework and advancing Enterprise Architecture (EA) initiatives across government institutions to ensure seamless data exchange.

The Director-General stated: “When we talk about interoperability, we mean that data generated in one agency should be accessible and usable by another in a consistent and secure format, without contradiction or confusion.

“That is how you build one government, not multiple disconnected systems.”

He added that a robust interoperability framework would not only improve internal government efficiency but also create a platform for innovation, enabling startups and young innovators to build solutions on structured public datasets.

Commending the state’s leadership for its vision and commission, Inuwa said: “If we achieve even 80 percent of what has been presented here, Abia will not only lead among states, but it will also become a national reference point for digital innovation.”

The workshop concluded with a renewed call for stronger federal–state collaboration, policy alignment, and sustained investment in digital capacity to ensure that the vision of “One Citizen, One Identity” translates into tangible socio-economic impact.

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