–Takes IT Projects Clearance Campaign To Office Of Account General, Others
News Highlights:
- NITDA has unveiled a revised IT Project Clearance Guidance Document aimed at standardizing the planning, funding, and execution of IT projects across Federal Public Institutions.
- Key government offices—including the Accountant General, Auditor General, and Bureau of Public Procurement—have pledged support for the new guidelines.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its mandate as the clearing house for all government Information Technology (IT) projects in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance governance and deliver public services more effectively.
Embracing this responsibility, the Agency has taken its campaign to scrutinize IT initiatives across Federal Public Institutions to key stakeholders: the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, and the Bureau of Public Procurement.
Central to these engagements was the presentation of NITDA’s newly Reviewed IT Project Clearance Guidance Document. This updated framework, an enhancement of the 2018 Guidelines for Clearance of IT Projects, was crafted to standardize the planning, funding, and execution of government IT deployments, ensuring they align with Nigeria’s national digital economy goals.
Digital TimesNG understands that the revised guidance places particular emphasis on cost-effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and transparency, further reinforcing NITDA’s pivotal role under the National Information Technology Development Act of 2007.
During the meetings, NITDA’s Director General stressed the importance of collaboration in realizing the Renewed Hope Agenda’s digital transformation objectives: “The Agency cannot work in isolation to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda of transforming the economy digitally. And we need to explore how we can strengthen our partnerships and collaborations in line with the President’s agenda.”
He cautioned that more than half of IT projects, “56 percent”, fail to deliver on their promised benefits because “we go for the latest technology, fail to design before building, and neglect the business value proposition we intend to achieve.”
Highlighting the root cause of these failures, the Director General noted that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) often rely on contractors’ proposals to design, implement, and operate IT systems, a practice that leaves little room for accountability and transparency.
“We are building a digitized government service; and government is one. We need to work together, work harmoniously, the same way IT systems work to deliver these services. For us to achieve this, we need to be more intentional in the way we design and implement. And if we continue to design and implement in silos, they will never work together,” he explained.
The reviewed guideline, he added, is structured around three critical phases—Solution Design, Implementation, and Quality Assurance—and mandates that contractors obtain licensure and certify employees for each step before qualifying for government IT contracts.
“These measures are designed to eliminate corruption, prevent duplication, and ensure that government IT initiatives are structured to create meaningful change—fostering efficiency, equity, and fairness in public service.”
At the Bureau of Public Procurement, Director General Dr. Adebowale Adedokun underscored the need to standardize IT Project Bidding Documents. “It is disheartening that organizations misuse IT projects to siphon public funds, resources that could otherwise be channelled towards impactful initiatives that can transform the country,” he remarked.
He explained that, historically, MDAs have adopted IT solutions without standardized guidelines, but with the new framework, “our decision should pave ways for the development of the IT sector of the country.”
He revealed that the Bureau has developed a standard bidding document for IT procurement and called on NITDA to support service-wide procurement of licenses from major vendors like Microsoft and Oracle, as well as to collaborate on an IT Price Intelligence template to benchmark costs.
Dr. Adedokun also advocated capacity building for government IT professionals so they are not outsmarted by contractors.
Both NITDA and BPP agreed to form a joint working committee to finalize modalities and sign a Memorandum of Understanding for implementation.
At the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, Auditor General Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira commended NITDA for its foresight in revising the clearance guidelines and pledged that, once operational, the Office would conduct a performance audit to evaluate the policy’s impact.
Similarly, Accountant General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi applauded NITDA’s initiative to standardize IT project implementation and affirmed his readiness to integrate the clearance guidelines into financial oversight processes.
By presenting the Reviewed IT Project Clearance Guidance Document, NITDA aims to align the Accountant General’s financial oversight with its vision of a digitally transformed public sector. This collaboration is expected to enhance service delivery, curb inefficiencies, and position Nigeria as a leader in technology-driven governance.
It is worth recalling that, since unveiling the original guidelines in 2018, NITDA has saved the country over N300 billion through its IT project clearance efforts.