Nigeria is accelerating its transition to a digital economy as the Federal Government intensified work on an e-governance and digital economy bill designed to strengthen regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies and enhance public sector innovation.
At the Global Partnership for Human-Centric ICT Standardisation (GIST) Nigeria Introductory Stakeholder Workshop in Abuja, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, who represented the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the country has moved beyond policy formulation to the implementation phase of its national Artificial Intelligence (AI) roadmap.
He noted that current efforts are focused on developing clear regulatory guidelines to ensure AI deployment aligns with ethical standards, accountability, and strong safeguards.
Inuwa said the government is also prioritising data classification to support access to high-quality datasets for AI training, while promoting cloud adoption across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to improve efficiency and service delivery.
He emphasised the importance of a “cloud-first” policy, warned that continued reliance on on-premise infrastructure could slow large-scale digital transformation. However, he assured that cloud integration would be implemented cautiously to protect Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and safeguard critical national data.
The NITDA boss further disclosed that progress is being made in strengthening e-governance through the development of an interoperability framework and the Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture. He added that a data exchange platform is also underway to support Government Statistics Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), aimed at improving data sharing and coordination across MDAs.
According to him, the initiative is expected to harmonise public sector digital projects while creating opportunities for private sector participation.
Inuwa stressed the need for deeper collaboration among government, industry, and stakeholders to build resilient digital infrastructure, expressing confidence that the proposed legislation would enhance Nigeria’s global standing in digital governance and promote innovation, transparency, and inclusive growth.
Earlier, the European Commission’s Team Leader for Digital Governance, Peter Marien (DG INTPA), highlighted the importance of international cooperation in shaping global digital standards. He said the European Union’s digital strategy prioritises partnerships and ecosystem alignment across regions, including Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Marien referenced a recent e-governance engagement in Brussels organised with Smart Africa, which included participation from NITDA, describing Nigeria’s involvement in the GIST initiative as a strong signal of its commitment to global digital governance.
He also emphasised the EU’s focus on building a human-centric digital ecosystem centred on inclusivity, privacy, and security, noting that its 27 member states have developed a cohesive digital framework over the past two decades.
Marien identified Nigeria as a strategic player in Africa’s drive for a unified digital market, particularly in advancing cross-border digital integration, adding that standards remain the “invisible backbone” supporting critical systems across modern societies.
