E-Governance: Nigeria prepares digital economy bill to enhance AI, Cloud adoption

*The Nigerian Government discloses it is accelerating work on e-governance and digital economy bill to strengthen the regulatory framework for emerging techs, and boost innovation in the public sector as part of the West African country’s drive towards a ‘fully digital economy’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In line with the global digital economy and its attendant benefits, the Nigerian Government has said it is intensifying work on e-governance and digital economy bill to strengthen the regulatory framework for emerging techs while boosting innovation in the public sector.

ConsumerConnect reports the government disclosed the move is part of the West African country’s drive towards attaining a “fully digital economy”.

CBN: N1,500 new ATM Card issuance fee to enhance innovative financial services, inclusion

Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), stated this at the recent Global Partnership for Human-Centric ICT Standardisation (GIST) Nigeria Introductory Stakeholder Workshop, held in Abuja, FCT.

Represented on the occasion by Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), he said Nigeria had transitioned beyond strategy design to implementation of its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) roadmap.

Inuwa also explained that the current phase focuses on developing clear guidelines and regulatory frameworks to ensure AI deployment aligns with ethical standards, accountability, and strong safeguards.

The Director-General of NITDA said as part of the broader digital transformation agenda, the government was also advancing data classification efforts at ensuring the availability of clean, reliable datasets for AI training.

The NITDA Chief Executive as well emphasised that in parallel, the authority is promoting cloud adoption across public institutions to enhance efficiency, scalability, and service delivery.

Inuwa: We should safeguard Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, protect critical national data

Inuwa further stressed the importance of a “cloud-first” policy, warning that continued dependence on premise systems could slow large scale digital transformation.

The Director-General, however, added that cloud integration would be approached “cautiously”, to safeguard Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and protect critical national data.

According to him, progress is also being recorded in the e-governance space, with the development of an interoperability framework and the Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture.

Besides, he revealed that efforts are in progress in respect of a data exchange platform to support Nigerian Government Statistics Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

The DPI is aimed at improving data sharing and coordination among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), stated he.

The initiative, Inuwa explained, is expected to harmonise public sector digital projects while creating opportunities for private sector participation.

The NITDA Chief Executive noted the need for stronger collaboration among governments, industry, and other stakeholders to build resilient digital infrastructure in the ecosystem.

Inuwa, therefore, expressed confidence that the proposed legislation on e-Governance and digital economy, as well as related initiatives would enhance Nigeria’s standing in digital governance while promoting innovation, transparency, and inclusive growth.

The Information Technology (IT) sector regulatory agency said earlier, Peter Marien, Director-General of INTPA, and European Commission’s Team Leader for Digital Governance, had highlighted the role of international cooperation in shaping global digital standards.

Marien noted the European Union’s (EU) digital strategy prioritises partnerships and ecosystem alignment across regions, including Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK).

The leader of the delegation also referenced a recent engagement in Brussels on e-governance, organised with Smart Africa, which included participation from NITDA Nigeria.

He described the country’s involvement in the GIST initiative as a strong signal of its commitment to global digital governance.

Marien also emphasised the EU’s focus on a human-centric digital ecosystem that prioritises inclusivity, privacy, and security.

According to him, the European Union’s 27 member states have, over two decades, built a cohesive digital framework centred on citizens.

Marien also identified Nigeria as a strategic player in Africa’s quest for a unified digital market, highlighting its role in advancing cross-border digital integration.

Standards serve as the “invisible backbone” of modern societies, supporting critical systems across sectors, stated he.

Marien said the GIST platform enables alignment of technical standards, and fosters knowledge exchange between regions.

Kindly Share This Story