The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting state governments in developing integrated digital systems designed to enhance governance efficiency, improve public service delivery, and stimulate sustainable economic growth.
The renewed commitment was highlighted at the Future Enterprise & Data Architecture of Abia State workshop themed “One Citizen, One Identity: Unlocking Data-Driven Governance,” which convened policymakers, technology experts, and development partners to advance a unified and citizen-centric digital public sector anchored on interoperability.
The workshop, organised by Abia State’s Ministry of Budget and Planning, was declared open by Governor Alex Otti, represented by Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu. Deliberations focused on strengthening coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to improve revenue generation, eliminate operational silos, and deliver more responsive government services.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Breaking Silos, Building One Government,” the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by the Agency’s Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnership, Aristotle Onumo, underscored collaboration as the cornerstone of successful digital transformation.
He explained that effective partnerships enable governments to harness collective intelligence, integrate systems, and build a unified governance framework capable of delivering measurable outcomes for citizens.
According to him, digital transformation is not solely a technological exercise but a comprehensive institutional shift involving people, processes, and organisational culture. He cautioned that resistance to change and entrenched bureaucratic structures could undermine reform efforts if cultural transformation does not accompany technological adoption.
Highlighting NITDA’s strategic direction, Inuwa disclosed that digital literacy remains central to national development efforts, with the agency targeting 70 per cent digital literacy nationwide through structured programmes aimed at training 30 million Nigerians across formal and informal sectors. These initiatives, he noted, are being implemented through community partnerships, institutional collaborations, and digital learning platforms.
He further revealed that digital education is being integrated into school curricula at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, while civil servants across the federal public service are undergoing capacity-building programmes to enhance institutional readiness for interoperable governance systems.
On interoperability, the NITDA Director General described it as indispensable to modern governance, noting that the agency is advancing a national interoperability framework alongside Enterprise Architecture initiatives to enable seamless, secure, and consistent data exchange across government institutions.
He added that a robust data ecosystem would not only improve internal government efficiency but also create opportunities for innovation by enabling startups and young innovators to develop solutions using structured public datasets.
Commending Abia State’s leadership for its forward-looking digital agenda, he expressed confidence that effective implementation of the reforms could position the state as a national benchmark for digital innovation and smart governance.
The workshop concluded with renewed calls for stronger federal-state collaboration, policy alignment, and sustained investment in digital capacity to ensure that the vision of “One Citizen, One Identity” translates into tangible socio-economic benefits for citizens.
