FG Pushes Digital Economy Bill, Advances AI, E-Governance Framework
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FG Pushes Digital Economy Bill, Advances AI, E-Governance Framework
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a fully digital economy, with ongoing work on an e-governance and digital economy bill aimed at strengthening regulatory frameworks and boosting innovation in the public sector.
This was disclosed at the Global Partnership for Human-Centric ICT Standardisation Nigeria Introductory Stakeholder Workshop held in Abuja, where the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said the country has moved from policy design to implementation of its national Artificial Intelligence roadmap.
Inuwa, who represented the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the current phase focuses on developing clear regulatory guidelines to ensure the ethical and accountable deployment of AI technologies.
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He noted that the government is prioritising data classification to improve access to reliable datasets for AI training, while also promoting cloud adoption across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to enhance efficiency and service delivery.
According to him, a “cloud-first” policy is central to the digital transformation agenda, warning that reliance on traditional on-premise systems could hinder large-scale progress.
“Cloud adoption will enable scalability and innovation, but it must be implemented in a way that protects Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and critical data infrastructure,” he said.
The NITDA boss added that progress is being recorded in the e-governance space, including the development of an interoperability framework and the Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture.
He further revealed that work is ongoing on a data exchange platform to support Government Statistics Digital Public Infrastructure, aimed at improving coordination and data sharing among public institutions.
The initiative, he said, would help harmonise digital projects across MDAs and create opportunities for private sector participation.
Inuwa stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government, industry stakeholders, and development partners to build resilient digital infrastructure, expressing optimism that the proposed legislation would enhance transparency, innovation, and inclusive growth.
Also speaking, the Team Leader for Digital Governance at the European Commission, Peter Marien, noted the importance of international cooperation in shaping global digital standards.
He said the European Union’s digital strategy focuses on partnerships and ecosystem alignment across regions, including Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Marien referenced a recent engagement in Brussels organised with Smart Africa, which included participation from NITDA, describing Nigeria’s involvement in the GIST initiative as a strong indication of its commitment to global digital governance.
He noted that the EU has, over the past two decades, built a cohesive digital framework across its 27 member states centred on inclusivity, privacy, and security.
According to him, Nigeria remains a strategic player in Africa’s push for a unified digital market, particularly in advancing cross-border digital integration.
“Standards are the invisible backbone of modern societies, supporting critical systems across sectors,” Marien said, adding that the GIST platform provides a mechanism for aligning technical standards and fostering knowledge exchange globally.
