Nigeria’s growing stature as a global reference point for digital governance was once again underscored as the leadership of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) formally received the awards and certificates conferred on the country at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit, Spain 2025.
Nigeria emerged as the overall global winner in the Digital Governance category, a recognition of its effective deployment of digital tools and policies to strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.
The country also clinched the Regional Award for advancing Open Digital Governance across Africa and the Middle East, reinforcing its leadership role in promoting open government principles and driving digital transformation across the region.
The honours, presented to NITDA by the OGP delegation, were largely attributed to digital governance initiatives spearheaded by the agency in collaboration with civil society partners, including Dataphyte, which showcased innovative and inclusive approaches to open digital governance at the global summit.
The summit, held in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, attracted over 1,500 senior government officials, civil society leaders and policymakers from across the world, who converged to exchange experiences, best practices and progress on open government reforms and implementation.
Receiving the delegation at NITDA, the Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, described the recognition as a national honour rather than an institutional one, stressing that it reflected Nigeria’s collective efforts across government, civil society and the private sector.
“This is not just about NITDA. It is a national recognition, and every recognition comes with responsibility,” Inuwa said.
“If we fail to execute the commitments we have made, it will not only affect our image locally but also at the international stage. This is also not something NITDA can do in isolation,” he added.
According to him, global recognition under the OGP framework carries heightened responsibility to deliver on Nigeria’s commitments, noting that sustained collaboration remains critical to success.
Inuwa linked the achievement to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emphasising that digital transformation, transparency, economic diversification, job creation and efficient public service delivery remain central priorities of the administration.
He noted that leveraging digital technologies to deepen openness and accountability aligns with national objectives of strengthening institutions, improving governance outcomes and building trust between government and citizens.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, the NITDA boss described the OGP platform as a catalyst for a strong multi-stakeholder digital ecosystem in Nigeria.
He called on civil society organisations, development partners, the private sector and other government institutions to provide sustained technical expertise and engagement to ensure effective implementation of agreed commitments.
“We need to leverage the OGP platform. We need your expertise, your guidance, your support and your commitment to hand-hold us in delivering on these commitments,” he said.
He further noted that “a multi-stakeholder approach in the digital space is critical to fostering a resilient ecosystem that delivers real value to citizens.”
Inuwa disclosed that NITDA has commenced internal reviews of its OGP commitments and has tasked its representatives, including Dr Rousseau, to work with relevant stakeholders to develop a clear execution strategy.
He also proposed the creation of joint work streams with OGP partners to support implementation, ensure accountability and keep all parties aligned.
“We are humans. Oversight and collaboration help us stay focused. With commitment, nothing is impossible, and I believe these goals are achievable,” he said, assuring the delegation of NITDA’s readiness and political will to deliver on all agreed commitments.
He also welcomed the idea of engaging the political leadership of OGP, including the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, with a view to briefing President Tinubu on the achievement.
According to him, celebrating milestones is important for morale and for demonstrating that Nigeria’s digital governance efforts are gaining global recognition.
“It’s also good when there are wins, we should celebrate, because we too never knew that the little things we are doing are noticed not just within Nigeria, but globally, to the extent of earning us this award,” Inuwa stated.
He concluded by expressing appreciation to the Nigerian National OGP Secretariat and the global OGP leadership, reaffirming NITDA’s commitment to strengthening collaboration and translating open governance principles into measurable national impact.
Earlier, the leader of the OGP delegation, Mr Olusoji Apampa, said the honours were earned through a strong partnership between government and civil society, with NITDA playing a critical role, particularly in commitments focused on improving digital governance in Nigeria.
Apampa expressed optimism that the awards would serve as renewed momentum to deepen ongoing reforms under NITDA’s leadership and accelerate the practical implementation of initiatives aimed at strengthening digital governance nationwide.
