The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has described the successful hosting of the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2025) as a defining moment for Nigeria’s digital transformation journey, one that reinforces the nation’s growing influence in global digital governance, research excellence, and innovation.
Held in Abuja under the patronage of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the four-day conference convened leading global experts for deep conversations, cutting-edge research presentations, and high-impact collaborations.
According to NITDA, these engagements are directly aligned with the President’s renewed priority of accelerating economic diversification through industrialisation and digitisation.
Organised by the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV), ICEGOV has, since 2007, served as a platform where academia, industry leaders, civil society, development partners and government actors co-create the future of electronic governance.
The 2025 edition placed Nigeria at the centre of global digital dialogue, highlighting the country’s rising technological and intellectual capacity.
This year’s conference recorded 151 scientific paper submissions from 308 authors across 33 countries. Emerging economies made up 68% of participating scholars, underscoring the event’s inclusive reach. Nigeria topped the submissions list with 102 contributing authors, ahead of Brazil, India, Portugal, and Greece.
NITDA attributed this strong presence to its sustained investments over the past decade in digital talent development, research funding, and ecosystem strengthening, investments now yielding international recognition.
The conference also spotlighted exceptional scholarship through its Best Paper Awards. Robert Ifeonu of the Central Bank of Nigeria won the top honour in the Research category with his paper, “Micro-Transformation Framework for Public Sector Innovation: Catalysing Resilient, Outcome-Driven Digital Governance.”
NITDA noted that this achievement highlights Nigeria’s growing leadership in developing home-grown digital governance models capable of shaping socio-economic outcomes.
In her closing remarks, Professor Delfina Soares, Director of UNU-EGOV, expressed profound appreciation to NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, whose early endorsement and strategic alignment made the Abuja edition possible.
She emphasised that the partnerships and sponsorships mobilised through NITDA enhanced the conference’s global value and strengthened Africa’s collective voice in the digital governance arena.
Reflecting on the broader national impact, NITDA stated that hosting ICEGOV 2025 delivered far-reaching benefits, from elevating Nigeria’s profile as a digital innovation hub to unlocking new avenues for investment, research collaboration, and capacity-building.
Insights shared at the conference, it added, will directly support the Agency’s digital transformation roadmap, improve public sector efficiency, and advance the Federal Government’s agenda of driving economic diversification through digitisation and industrialisation.
The Agency affirmed that the knowledge exchange from ICEGOV will fuel enhanced service delivery, modernised regulatory frameworks, and the continued growth of Nigeria’s knowledge-driven economy.
As international delegates departed Abuja with renewed partnerships and strategic commitments, NITDA reiterated its determination to sustain the momentum, ensuring Nigeria’s role in global digital governance transitions from participation to leadership.
