The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has advocated deeper collaboration among the federal, state, and local governments to accelerate digital transformation and inclusive growth across Nigeria.

Director of Corporate Communications and External Affairs of the agency, Hadiza Umar, quoted, Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, as saying this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

She said Mr Inuwa made the call during a visit to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat.

The DG said achieving Nigeria’s digital vision required joint commitment at all levels of government to ensure that digital transformation benefited every citizen.

He said, “Our mandate is not just targeted at the federal; it’s truly national, which means it must embrace state and local governments.’’

The NITDA boss highlighted Nigeria’s remarkable digital growth, saying that when the agency was established, fewer than 500,000 Nigerians used computers, while ICT contributed less than 0.5 per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“Today, we have over 130 million internet users, and ICT now contributes more than 17 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP,” he said.

He attributed the progress to strategic partnerships among government institutions, private organisations and international development partners.

Mr Inuwa restated NITDA’s vision of building a digitally empowered nation that uses technology to drive national prosperity anchored on the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP).

“No one succeeds in isolation; we must work as an ecosystem to create prosperity and inclusivity through technology,” he said.

Mr Inuwa also invited state governments to participate in NITDA’s upcoming International Conference on Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) and the Digital Nigeria Conference to promote cross-state learning and collaboration in digital governance.

He reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to leveraging partnerships to integrate technology into governance and improve public service delivery at all levels.

In his remarks, DG of NGF, Abdulateef Shittu, described the visit as a significant step toward strengthening intergovernmental collaboration in driving the nation’s digital economy agenda.

Mr Shittu commended NITDA’s leadership in advancing digital transformation, saying that technology was a key driver of competitiveness and inclusive development.

He further said that digital transformation went beyond administrative efficiency, describing it as a national imperative capable of improving service delivery and expanding economic opportunities.

He cited the forum’s ongoing efforts, including the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Readiness Report and the Intelligent Revenue Authority Readiness Report, which were guiding reforms in digital identity, data exchange, payments and trust systems.

“With strong partnership and shared accountability we will unlock a future where every Nigerian, urban or rural, has access to the tools and opportunities of the digital age,” Mr Shittu said. 

(NAN)