Nigeria is making another attempt to establish a functional e-governance system, aiming to digitise at least 75% of government services by 2027.
This initiative, led by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), seeks to simplify access to public services through a unified digital platform.
Kashifu Inuwa, director-general of NITDA, recently discussed the plan during a meeting with officials from the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria. He revealed that the agency is developing an online portal where Nigerians can access various government services, including tax payments, licence renewals, international passport applications, healthcare, and social benefits.
The goal is to eliminate the fragmented structure that currently hampers efficiency in government operations.
Inuwa explained that Nigeria has been studying successful e-governance models from other nations, particularly the United Kingdom and Kenya. He noted that while these models may not be directly transferable, they offer valuable insights that can be adapted to suit Nigeria’s unique challenges.
“We have been doing research on how the UK, Kenya and other countries have achieved this, so I believe we can learn from you as well to see how we can build our own,” Inuwa stated.
He emphasised the importance of enacting necessary laws to support the transition, noting that some nations operate through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) while others use government-mandated digital platforms.
Expanding Digital Access to Local Governments
Beyond federal-level digitisation, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has outlined plans to integrate all 774 local government headquarters into the digital framework by 2027.
This initiative aims to extend digital public infrastructure to underserved areas, ensuring that government services become more accessible nationwide.
An aspect of this plan is improving internet connectivity at the local government level. Reliable internet access is expected to enhance service delivery in key sectors such as healthcare, education, social welfare, and infrastructure development.
Overcoming Past Setbacks
This is not Nigeria’s first attempt at implementing a comprehensive e-governance strategy. The government previously introduced the e-Government Masterplan in 2019 and launched the OneGov.net initiative to unify public services.
However, these initiatives were challenged with inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent regulatory frameworks, and technical limitations. As a result, progress was slow, and many initiatives failed to gain traction.
Addressing the Connectivity Gap
One of the major obstacles to successful e-governance in Nigeria is poor connectivity. Reuben Oshomah, regional director at Avanti Satellite, pointed out that broadband penetration is uneven, particularly in rural areas. While urban centres benefit from relatively stable internet access, many communities still struggle with limited connectivity.
Oshomah pointed to Estonia as a benchmark, noting that despite having only 30% of Nigeria’s population, the European nation has achieved 90% internet penetration. In contrast, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that broadband penetration in Nigeria stood at 44.43% as of December 2024.
However, there is hope in the proposed national fibre project, which aims to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across the country. The goal is to improve connectivity and provide the necessary infrastructure for e-governance to thrive.
The Role of Stakeholders
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju, managing director of Galaxy Backbone, stressed that achieving Nigeria’s e-governance goals would require stronger collaboration across public and private sectors. He noted that many government agencies are unaware of existing digital infrastructure and called for better awareness and utilisation of available resources.
“It’s important to improve our broadband and ensure that our infrastructure remains relevant,” Adepoju stated, pointing out that current capacity remains underutilised despite significant investments.
Similarly, Hauwa Buba Wakili, head of Digital Skills and Services at the NCC, outlined efforts to enhance e-governance through indigenous content development, research, and capacity building. “We have been focusing on infrastructure and have developed a policy to drive indigenous content in the telecom sector. We’re looking at manufacturing, capacity building, and R&D,” she explained.
Nigeria needs to launch functional, accessible, and sustainable products in the long run. With the right policies, infrastructure, and stakeholder commitment, the country may finally bridge the gap between aspiration and execution in its e-governance journey.
While the federal government is targeting this initiative, collaboration must be ensured across all levels of government.
