For years, Nigeria has celebrated milestones in its digital transformation journey, from expanding broadband access and growing fintech innovation to increasing digital skills and public service digitisation.
Yet one critical question has remained difficult to answer: How much is digital technology truly contributing to the nation’s economy?
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is now taking a major step to provide that answer.
The agency has convened policymakers, regulators, researchers, academics, development partners and private sector leaders to build what could become Nigeria’s most comprehensive framework for measuring the economic impact of digital technologies.
The initiative aims to provide government with credible data and evidence that can shape smarter policies, guide investments and strengthen the country’s digital economy.
The process began with the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Workshop on the Indicators and Measurement Framework for the National Research Study on the Impact of Digital Technologies on Nigeria’s Economy: Key Growth Indicators, Gaps and Future Outlook, held at the e-Government Training Centre of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Abuja.
Rather than another policy dialogue, the workshop focused on agreeing on the indicators and methodology that will underpin a nationwide assessment of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. Participants examined the metrics needed to accurately evaluate how digital technologies are driving economic growth, identify existing gaps and forecast future opportunities.
The framework, once validated, is expected to serve as a reference point for evidence-based policymaking, enabling government to better understand where digital investments are delivering results and where additional interventions are required.
Welcoming participants, Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA director general, represented by Mr. Olawumi Oladejo, director of the Special Duties Unit, said Nigeria’s ambition of building a globally competitive digital economy cannot rely solely on deploying technology.
According to him, sustainable digital transformation depends on credible evidence, trusted data and strong institutional collaboration that enable policymakers to make informed decisions.
He observed that Nigeria has recorded remarkable progress in digital payments, broadband expansion, digital public services, innovation ecosystems and digital entrepreneurship. However, he noted that without a harmonised national measurement system, it remains difficult to accurately assess the impact of these investments, identify existing gaps and prioritise future interventions.
Inuwa explained that the National Research Study is designed to establish a credible evidence base for understanding how digital technologies contribute to economic growth, employment, innovation, financial inclusion, improved public service delivery and national competitiveness. He added that the study would also establish a common national framework for measuring digital transformation across sectors and institutions.
He further noted that the initiative aligns with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), particularly its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s technology research ecosystem through data driven policymaking. He called on stakeholders to actively contribute their expertise to ensure that the framework is technically sound, practically applicable, the best global accepted and aligned with global best practices.
Also speaking during the opening ceremony, Dr. Saidu Mohammed Kumo, Cchairman of the Technical Steering Committee and Director of Research and Development at NITDA, added that while the nation’s digital economy is expanding at an unprecedented pace, the capacity to systematically track its impact on productivity and social inclusion has lagged behind.
To bridge this gap, a multidisciplinary network of researchers hailing from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones collaborated with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to design a rigorous, statistically sound framework.
Dr. Kumo revealed that the framework evaluates three core analytical dimensions, which include digital infrastructure and access, digital capabilities and skills, and digital adoption and the enabling environment.
These dimensions are being configurationally applied across five strategic sectors: financial services, government services, e-commerce and digital trade, telecommunications, and e-health.
To turn these concepts into actionable data, the committee proposed 81 core indicators to evaluate how digital tools are changing Nigerian society and business.
The workshop served as a vital crucible for stakeholders to stress-test these metrics, ensure they fit sector-specific realities, and eliminate any outstanding data gaps before launching the nationwide data collection phase.
In her goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Statistician General of the Federation, Mrs. Saadatu Hayatuddeen Auwal of the National Bureau of Statistics described digital technology as the engine driving today’s economy, stressing that accurate measurement remains essential to understanding and improving its contribution to national development. She reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to supporting the initiative through technical collaboration and the production of timely, reliable and policy driven statistics.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ezedozie Adaora Ifeyinwa, commended NITDA for recognising the health sector as one of the five pilot sectors in the study. She highlighted the growing role of digital technologies including electronic health records, telemedicine and data driven disease surveillance in transforming healthcare delivery, while emphasising the need for consistent measurement of their impact on health outcomes and economic development.
She also stressed the importance of addressing challenges such as fragmented health data, varying levels of digital maturity across healthcare institutions and data sensitivity, while reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to collaborating with NITDA and other stakeholders to strengthen data sharing and support a more integrated digital health ecosystem.
The workshop featured technical presentations on the draft Indicators and Measurement Framework across the five pilot sectors, E-Health and Digital Health, Financial Services, E-Commerce and Digital Trade, Telecommunications, and Government Services.
Participants critically reviewed the proposed indicators, examined sector specific methodologies and offered recommendations to strengthen the framework ahead of the nationwide data collection phase.
The workshop concluded with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to supporting the development of an institutionalised national e-governance and digital economy measurement system that will provide credible evidence for policymaking, strengthen strategic planning, attract investment and position Nigeria as a globally competitive digital economy.
