By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
The European Union (EU) on Thursday said that it was supporting Nigeria by deploying X-Road model of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as obtained in Finland and Estonia.
Mr Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said this on Thursday at the Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards 2025 organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in Abuja.
The theme of the conference was “Redefining Possibilities: Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Public Service Delivery and Socio-Economic Development.”
X-Road is an open-source software framework that acts as a digital public infrastructure layer for secure,real-time data exchange between different information systems.
Mignot said the model could connect all the public sector systems while ensuring data protection.
“The model is done in a way that protects your data, in the sense that you are not really exposed to knowledge of your data beyond what is strictly authorised by the user.
“The system prompts you, whether it’s about a school registration or your insurance or whatever, the system will help you follow up on whatever you need to do with the public authorities.
“We are looking at it as it is applied in Estonia and Finland and other European countries,” he said.
He further said that EU was supporting with the deployment of 90,000 extra kilometers of fiber optic cables, enhancing digital literacy, building skills and supporting digital transformation centres.
He said this was in addition to the initial £8 million grants and loans for the development of the Nigeria Digital Economy Initiative.
Dr Dasuki Arabi, Director-General of BPSR, said it had infused different initiatives to enhance digitalisation in government to improve efficiency.
“Going further, we must now begin developing emerging technologies from artificial intelligence,machine learning to robotics, process automation and block chain.
“In partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission, BPSR commenced this process about three years ago, and we are glad these things are now becoming part of the policies of federal government of Nigeria.
“We are also actively working to integrate distributed ledger technologies into the operations of BPRS to simplify routine task, secure sensitive letter, optimise resource allocation for more effective service delivery,” Arabi said.
According to him, Nigeria must invest in people, whom he described as the true enablers of innovation.
“That is why we are committed to training over 500,000 public servants on digital literacy and emerging technologies, equipping them to manage and sustain these technologies for long term impact,” he said.
Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),
said major reforms were underway to strengthen interoperability of government platforms and enhance digital identity.
Represented by Mrs Esuabana Nko-Asanye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Akume said digital governance required an enabling environment to thrive.
“This is why government continues to prioritise policy and legal framework that foster aggregation, ensure data protection and encourage private sector participation.
“We also undertake capacity building to equip public servants with digital skills for effective performance.
“By digitising government services, we reduce the cost of living, enhance ease of business, eliminate bottlenecks and create a transparent environment that attracts investment,” Akume said. (NAN)
Edited by Uche Anunne
