NITDA accelerates digital transformation, eyes unified government portal

By Chinenye Anuforo

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated its commitment to driving digital transformation across Nigeria.

To elevate its services, the agency plans to create a one-stop-shop portal for all government services, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to digitise 75% of government services by 2027.

The announcement was made during a high-level meeting between NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa and a delegation from the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria, led by Ambassador Ivan Kholostenko.

The meeting, held at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja, focused on exploring potential collaborations to enhance productivity, transparency, and trust in government processes through digital innovation.

Despite years of efforts to establish a centralized e-government platform, such as the previously proposed OneGove.net, NITDA has now reignited its drive by conducting extensive research into global best practices. Inuwa emphasized that the agency is studying successful models from countries like the United Kingdom and Kenya to develop a framework tailored to Nigeria’s unique needs.

“We have been researching how other nations have implemented unified digital government services platforms. While these models are not entirely transferable, we can learn from their experiences to build a system that works for Nigeria,” Inuwa stated.

To ensure the success of this initiative, Inuwa highlighted the need for robust legal frameworks to support the digitization process. He revealed that NITDA has identified multiple models from other countries, including those that use Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to deliver government services and others that rely on legally backed portals.

“If we want to achieve this, we need to enact the necessary laws to facilitate a smooth and effective digital transformation,” Inuwa said. He also disclosed that NITDA is collaborating with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to align Nigeria’s digital governance standards with global best practices. This partnership is expected to provide valuable insights and expertise to structure Nigeria’s digital transformation roadmap.

During the meeting, Ambassador Kholostenko shared insights into Ukraine’s Diia application, a comprehensive digital ecosystem that integrates all state registers, databases, and government services into a single platform. The Diia app has significantly reduced bureaucracy, minimized corruption risks, and streamlined service delivery for Ukrainian citizens.

Kholostenko expressed Ukraine’s willingness to support Nigeria in developing a similar system. “We are interested in expanding our digital initiatives and helping other countries create efficient digital states. Our goal is to reduce bureaucracy, save time, and minimize corruption by limiting human-to-human interactions in service delivery,” he said.

Inuwa emphasized that the proposed one-stop-shop portal is a critical step toward enhancing efficiency, reducing corruption, and promoting transparency in government operations. By leveraging global best practices and aligning them with Nigeria’s national policies, the initiative aims to create a smart, seamless, and citizen-friendly government service experience.

“This initiative is not just about technology; it’s about transforming how government services are delivered to Nigerians. It’s about making life easier for citizens and building trust in public institutions,” Inuwa concluded.

NITDA’s efforts to digitize government services are expected to gain momentum in the coming months, with the agency working closely with stakeholders to finalize the framework and legal structures needed to support the initiative. As Nigeria moves closer to achieving its 2027 digitization target, the collaboration with international partners like Ukraine could play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of this transformative agenda.