In alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for enhanced governance and efficient service delivery, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has taken its campaign for IT Project Clearance compliance to major public oversight institutions.
The Agency visited the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), advocated for stricter scrutiny and harmonization of IT projects undertaken by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Central to the visit was the presentation of NITDA’s Reviewed IT Project Clearance Guidance Document an upgraded framework aimed at standardising the planning, funding, and execution of IT projects in line with Nigeria’s digital economy goals. This revised document updates the 2018 guidelines and reinforces NITDA’s mandate as the federal clearing house for IT projects, as established under the National Information Technology Development Act (2007).
NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration with oversight bodies, noted that 56 percent of government IT projects have failed to meet their objectives due to poor planning, lack of business focus, and contractor-driven execution without sufficient input from end-users.
He stressed that the new guidelines are designed to promote interoperability, prevent duplication, eliminate waste, and drive transparency.
“We must stop designing and implementing IT systems in silos. Government is one, and we must build systems that work seamlessly together,” Inuwa said.
The reviewed guidelines outlined three key phases of IT project implementation: Solution Design, Implementation, and Quality Assurance. Going forward, contractors must present certified staff for each of these phases before being awarded government IT contracts.
At the BPP, Director General Dr. Adebowale Adedokun described the campaign as timely and essential to combating corruption in IT procurement. He lamented that many MDAs present poorly designed IT proposals aimed at siphoning funds and called for standardisation across board. He also tasked NITDA to support with a template for IT Price Intelligence and to consider service-wide licensing for platforms like Microsoft and Oracle.
Dr. Adedokun also pushed for capacity building for public IT officers to prevent contractors from taking undue advantage of technical gaps within the system. Both agencies agreed to form a joint working committee and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to operationalise their collaboration.
At the Office of the Auditor General, Mr. Shaakaa Chira commended NITDA’s proactive engagement and promised to conduct performance audits once the guidelines are in effect.
Similarly, the Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Shamsideen Ogunjimi, expressed readiness to align the financial oversight processes with the updated IT clearance framework to ensure greater accountability and efficiency.
Since the inception of the IT Projects Clearance process in 2018, NITDA has saved the country over ₦300 billion by preventing duplication, ensuring value for money, and promoting smart investments in public IT infrastructure.
