The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has said Nigeria’s digital future must be anchored on trust, transparency, inclusion and accountability.
Inuwa stated this in his speech at the Multi-Stakeholder Coordinating Group (MSCG) meeting on Digital Governance in Abuja, themed “Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Inclusive Digital Governance in Nigeria.” He was represented at the meeting by the Director of Stakeholders Management and Partnerships, Dr Aristotle Onumo.
The NITDA DG said attention must increasingly shift from what technology can do to how it should be governed, stressing that effective digital governance must provide clear answers to questions of responsibility, transparency, privacy and inclusion.
He asked: “Who is responsible when systems fail? How are algorithm decisions explained? How do we protect privacy while encouraging innovation? And how do we ensure digital services work for citizens in rural areas just as well as in Abuja and Lagos?”
Using artificial intelligence (AI)-driven grant disbursement as an example, Inuwa said government must clearly establish who approves such systems, the data they rely on, how decisions are reached and how citizens can challenge or correct erroneous outcomes.
He described digital governance as “the steering wheel, traffic rules and brakes” of Nigeria’s digital transformation, explaining that it provides the framework needed to ensure the country moves forward digitally in a safe, fair and responsible manner.
Inuwa further stressed that government alone cannot deliver an inclusive digital Nigeria, noting that sustained collaboration among the public sector, private sector, civil society, academia, technology companies and citizens is essential.
He said such multi-stakeholder cooperation would help ensure that Nigeria’s digital transformation is not only technologically advanced but also inclusive, accountable and responsive to the needs of all citizens.
