News Highlights:
- NITDA says Nigeria saved over ₦300 billion through the review of government IT projects since 2018.
- Benin Republic has enrolled about 98% of its population on its digital identity platform and connected over 60 agencies through its XROAD system.
The push for stronger regional digital integration in West Africa received a fresh boost as Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Benin Republic’s Agence des Systèmes d’Information et du Numérique (ASIN) reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation on digital transformation, digital public infrastructure, and innovation-led governance.
The renewed commitment emerged during a courtesy visit by the Beninese delegation to NITDA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja, where both institutions explored areas of collaboration, exchange of best practices, and strategies for accelerating digital development across the region.
Speaking during the engagement, NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, stressed that regional partnerships remain essential to building resilient digital ecosystems capable of driving Africa’s digital economy and sustainable growth.
He explained that NITDA continues to champion Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through policies, standards, and strategic frameworks aimed at modernising governance and enhancing public sector service delivery.
According to him, the agency has developed several foundational frameworks, including the Enterprise Governance Framework, Digital Transformation Framework, and Software Quality Assurance Framework, to guide Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in their digital transformation processes.
“Our goal is to move government institutions beyond basic digitalisation to full digital transformation, and ultimately, to build an intelligent, data-driven government powered by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,” he said.
Inuwa further disclosed that NITDA has, since 2018, reviewed over ₦1.5 trillion worth of government IT projects to ensure compliance, technical alignment, and value for money.
He noted that the intervention had enabled the Federal Government to save more than ₦300 billion by eliminating project duplication, promoting shared services, and improving the execution of digital initiatives across MDAs.
On digital public infrastructure, he revealed that Nigeria has shifted from fragmented agency-to-agency data exchanges to a more integrated and citizen-centric ecosystem through the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platform.
According to him, the platform provides both federated and centralised frameworks for seamless data exchange among government institutions while preserving the independence of individual information systems.
He added that the proposed e-Government and Digital Economy Bill would provide the legal framework needed to strengthen the platform and institutionalise digital collaboration across government institutions.
The NITDA boss also highlighted the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) 2024–2027, which aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and prioritises key areas including digital literacy, cybersecurity, research and development, innovation, inclusive access, and strategic partnerships.
Earlier, the Head of International Partnerships at ASIN, Tildy Erlong, said the visit followed a recent Smart Africa workshop held in Abuja and was designed to strengthen institutional ties while learning from Nigeria’s digital transformation experience.
She described ASIN as the operational agency under Benin Republic’s digital ministry, tasked with implementing strategic digital development projects in collaboration with institutions such as the national identity agency, ANIP, and the cybersecurity agency, CENIN.
Erlong highlighted Benin Republic’s progress in digital public infrastructure, revealing that about 98 per cent of the country’s population — approximately 13.6 million citizens — has been enrolled on its digital identity platform.
She also disclosed that more than 60 government agencies and service institutions are connected through Benin’s XROAD interoperability platform, enabling the delivery of over 250 digital services to citizens.
According to her, Benin is equally prioritising digital inclusion, open-source systems, and the deployment of artificial intelligence to improve public service delivery in sectors such as healthcare, education, and justice.