By Daniel Obaje/Blessing Tanko
The Federal Government has called for stronger digital public infrastructure and collaboration among government agencies to improve governance, financial inclusion and service delivery.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, made the call through his representative, Dr Ibrahim Kana, Permanent Secretary, SGF Office, at the Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards.
The conference, in its fourth edition, was organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in collaboration with the Office of the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion on Tuesday night in Abuja.
The event, themed “Advancing Digital Government: Scaling Digital Public Infrastructure for Effective Governance and Service Delivery”, brought together government officials, development partners and technology experts.
Akume said the government was committed to strengthening digital adoption and supporting reforms to improve service delivery under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure Framework, launched in March 2025, was built around digital identity, digital payments and secure data exchange.
According to him, the government intends to strengthen data-sharing mechanisms among ministries, departments and agencies to reduce repeated documentation and make public services more accessible.
He urged stakeholders to address persistent challenges relating to data protection, interoperability and the integration of subnational governments into national identity and payment systems.
Akume also called for digital public infrastructure to be treated as critical national infrastructure, alongside roads, electricity and telecommunications.
Also speaking, Dr Dasuki Arabi, Director-General of BPSR, said digital transformation should go beyond introducing technology into government offices to addressing administrative bottlenecks and improving citizens’ experiences.
Arabi said the bureau had launched three digital applications: the BPSR Reform Tracker, Repository Tool and National Strategy for Public Service Reforms Application.
He said the platforms were designed to improve coordination, monitor reform implementation, provide real-time reporting and support evidence-based decision-making across government institutions.
Arabi added that the bureau’s GovTech agenda aligned with the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms, particularly its emphasis on information technology, electronic records management and improved public service performance.
He urged government institutions to collaborate with the private sector, researchers and technology companies to develop practical solutions to public service challenges.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Mr Gautier Mignot, said digital government was fundamental in building trust between citizens and public institutions.
Mignot said the EU-Nigeria Digital Economy Package, worth more than 820 million euros, supported cooperation in digital connectivity, technical skills, digital public services and cybersecurity.
He said the EU was working with Estonia, Finland and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to establish a data exchange layer for secure information-sharing among government agencies.
Mignot said such infrastructure would strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while improving the security and reliability of public services.
Also speaking, NIMC’s Director-General, Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, represented by the commission’s Chief Information Security Officer, Adaora Casmir, said trusted digital identity was essential to effective digital governance.
She said the National Identification Number (NIN) supported identity verification across banking, telecommunications, healthcare, education and social protection services.
Coker-Odusote, however, stressed the need to protect personal and biometric information through effective cybersecurity measures, access controls and responsible data management.
Similarly, the Executive Vice-Chairman of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu, said digital transformation must produce measurable improvements in public service delivery.
Halilu, represented by Dr Kehinde Ajakaiye, said NASENI adopted an integrated enterprise resource planning system and developed digital applications to improve administrative efficiency, transparency and accountability.
He urged government institutions to redesign inefficient administrative processes before automating them and to invest in local innovation and civil servants’ digital skills.
Edited by Magdalene Ukuedojor
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