In a move to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reform and digital innovation agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has pledged its full support to sub-national governments building integrated, data-driven governance systems.
This commitment was the centerpiece of the Future Enterprise & Data Architecture of Abia State workshop, held under the theme: “One Citizen, One Identity: Unlocking Data-Driven Governance.”
The event, opened by Governor Alex Otti, represented by Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, the deputy, focused on breaking down institutional silos to boost revenue and service delivery.
The Interoperability Mandate: Not Optional, But a Necessity
Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA’s director general, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, emphasized that a unified government is impossible without seamless data exchange.
NITDA is currently developing a national interoperability framework to ensure that data generated by one agency is accessible and usable by another in a secure format.
Key Benefits of an Interoperable Framework:
- Data Integrity: Eliminates contradictions and “multiple identities” for a single citizen.
- Revenue Optimization: Enables MDAs to track and collect revenue more efficiently through shared databases.
- Innovation Catalyst: Structured public datasets will allow startups and young innovators to build new civic-tech solutions.
Targeting 70% Digital Literacy Nationwide
Inuwa revealed that NITDA’s strategic action plan is built on a foundational pillar of human capital development.
The agency has set an ambitious target to achieve 70% digital literacy across Nigeria.
The Roadmap to 30 Million Skilled Nigerians:
- Mass Training: Targeting 30 million Nigerians through digital learning platforms.
- Curriculum Reform: Integrating digital education into primary, secondary, and tertiary school systems.
- Public Sector Upskilling: Ongoing digital capacity development for civil servants to ensure readiness for interoperable governance.
Culture vs. Technology: Breaking the Silo Mindset
The DG warned that technology alone cannot transform a state if the institutional culture remains resistant to change. He advocated for a shift from “control to collaboration.”
“Digital transformation is as much about people as it is about process and technology. If culture resists change, it can undermine strategy at every level,” Inuwa stated.
He commended the Abia State government for its vision, noting that if the state achieves 80% of its proposed data architecture, it will become a “national reference point” for digital innovation.
The Fiscal Impact of One Identity
For a state like Abia, which is looking to expand its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) without necessarily increasing tax rates, the “One Citizen, One Identity” framework is a game-changer.
By unifying data across the Ministry of Budget, the Revenue Service, and social intervention programs, the state can plug leakages and identify ghost entities in its payroll and tax net.
However, the success of this federal-state alignment depends on the National Enterprise Architecture (EA) being robust enough to handle the cybersecurity risks that come with centralized, interoperable data.
