The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has said that building a globally competitive digital economy requires more than the deployment of technology, stressing that reliable evidence, trusted data and strong institutional collaboration are essential for sustainable digital transformation.
Inuwa, who was represented by the Director of the Special Duties Unit, Mr. Olawumi Oladejo, made the assertion while delivering the welcome address at the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Workshop on the Indicators and Measurement Framework for the National Research Study on the Impact of Digital Technologies on Nigeria’s Economy: Key Growth Indicators, Gaps and Future Outlook.
Digital TimesNG reports that the workshop, hosted at the e-Government Training Centre of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria in Abuja, brought together government institutions, regulatory bodies, academia, private sector leaders, development partners and researchers to validate the framework that will guide a nationwide assessment of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Inuwa observed that Nigeria has made remarkable progress in digital payments, broadband expansion, digital public services, innovation ecosystems and digital entrepreneurship, but noted that without a harmonised national measurement system, it remains difficult to accurately assess the impact of these investments, identify existing gaps and prioritise future interventions.
He explained that the National Research Study is designed to establish a credible evidence base for understanding how digital technologies contribute to economic growth, employment, innovation, financial inclusion, improved public service delivery and national competitiveness.
The study, he added, would also create a common national framework for measuring digital transformation across sectors and institutions.
According to him, the initiative aligns with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), particularly its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s technology research ecosystem through data-driven policymaking.
He urged stakeholders to contribute their expertise to ensure that the framework is technically sound, practically applicable and aligned with global best practices.
Speaking also at the opening ceremony, Dr. Saidu Mohammed Kumo, Chairman of the Technical Steering Committee and Director of Research and Development at NITDA, said that while Nigeria’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, the country’s capacity to systematically track its impact on productivity and social inclusion has lagged behind.
To bridge this gap, he said, a multidisciplinary network of researchers from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones collaborated with the National Bureau of Statistics to design a rigorous, statistically sound framework.
Dr. Kumo revealed that the framework evaluates three core analytical dimensions: digital infrastructure and access, digital capabilities and skills, and digital adoption and the enabling environment.
These dimensions, he said, are being applied across five strategic sectors: financial services, government services, e-commerce and digital trade, telecommunications, and e-health.
To translate the framework into actionable evidence, the committee proposed 81 core indicators to assess how digital tools are transforming Nigerian society and business.
The workshop served as a platform for stakeholders to review the proposed indicators, test their relevance to sector-specific realities, and identify any outstanding data gaps before the nationwide data collection phase begins.
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Statistician General of the Federation, Mrs. Saadatu Hayatuddeen Auwal of the National Bureau of Statistics described digital technology as a major driver of modern economic activity.
She stressed that accurate measurement is essential for understanding and improving its contribution to national development and reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to supporting the initiative through technical collaboration and the production of timely, reliable and policy-relevant statistics.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ezedozie Adaora Ifeyinwa commended NITDA for recognising the health sector as one of the five pilot sectors in the study and highlighted the growing role of digital technologies, including electronic health records, telemedicine and data-driven disease surveillance, in transforming healthcare delivery.
She emphasised the need for consistent measurement of the impact of these technologies on health outcomes and economic development, while also noting challenges such as fragmented health data, varying levels of digital maturity across healthcare institutions and data sensitivity.
She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to collaborating with NITDA and other stakeholders to strengthen data sharing and support a more integrated digital health ecosystem.
The workshop featured technical presentations on the draft Indicators and Measurement Framework across the five pilot sectors: e-health and digital health, financial services, e-commerce and digital trade, telecommunications, and government services.
Participants reviewed the proposed indicators, examined sector-specific methodologies, and offered recommendations to strengthen the framework ahead of the nationwide data collection phase.
At the close of the workshop, stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the development of an institutionalised national e-governance and digital economy measurement system that will provide credible evidence for policymaking, strengthen strategic planning, attract investment and position Nigeria as a globally competitive digital economy.
