ICEGOV 2025: Nigeria Leads Africa’s Drive for Good Governance Through Technology
0
0
ICEGOV 2025: Nigeria Leads Africa’s Drive for Good Governance Through Technology
By Alabidun Shuaib Abdulrahman
Nigeria has restated its commitment to advancing Africa’s digital transformation through research, innovation and collaborative governance, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and national priorities on economic reform and improved service delivery.
The pledge was made at the opening of the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) 2025 held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The conference, themed “Shaping the Future of Digital Governance through Cooperation, Innovation, and Inclusion,” was co-chaired by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, and the Rector of the United Nations University and UN Under-Secretary-General, Prof. Tschilidzi Marwala.
READ ALSO: Ex-NSA, General Abdullah Adangba, ‘Atoto’, Is Dead
Prof. Marwala, in his address, called for inclusive and ethical development of artificial intelligence (AI), warning that the technology must serve all humanity, including Africans.
“Artificial intelligence is shaping many areas of our lives, but it must be designed so that it does not leave anyone behind. AI will remain suboptimal until it works equally for all people, including the people of Nigeria and the African continent,” he said.
He stressed the need to balance transparency with security, and innovation with accountability, urging policymakers to democratise AI and make its governance a collective responsibility.
Dr Tijani said Nigeria was positioned at the intersection of innovation, youth, and digital transformation, noting that nations thrive when good ideas dominate public policy.
“The state of a society reflects the ideas that dominate it. When good ideas strike, nations prosper; when bad ideas prevail, nations decay,” he said.
He warned against policies driven by profit or politics, insisting that regulations should guide innovation rather than react to it.
“If our ideas are driven solely by profit or short-term politics, we end up with regulations that react to innovation rather than guide it,” he added.
The minister also urged closer ties between academia and government to promote evidence-based policymaking, describing digital technology as a public good that must be guided by ethics and inclusivity.
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, described ICEGOV 2025 as a landmark in Nigeria’s drive toward digital governance.
Inuwa said the decision to host the global conference followed Nigeria’s impressive outing at ICEGOV 2024 in South Africa.
“Honourable Minister said he wants us to host workshops at ICEGOV 2024 because he believes in research. If we really want to build a sustainable economy in the digital era, we must invest in deep research, especially in deep tech,” he said.
He listed key national projects under the ministry’s five strategic pillars — Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Trade, and Innovation, including the National Digital Literacy Framework, integration of digital studies into school curricula, the training of over 24,000 civil servants, and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.
“Digital transformation is not just about technology; it’s about improving how we serve our citizens. Governance must meet citizens where they are, which is online,” Inuwa added.
He also revealed ongoing work on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) such as a national data exchange platform and a Centre of Excellence for DPI.
Other dignitaries present included Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Said Ahmad; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack (represented by Mrs Fatima Mahmood); Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaibu Afolabi Salisu; and Chairman, House Committee on ICT, Hon. Stanley Adedeji.
They commended Nigeria’s leadership in promoting digital governance across Africa and described ICEGOV 2025 as a major platform for advancing ethical technology use, policy dialogue, and innovation.
According to them, the success of Nigeria’s digital economy strategy will depend on stronger institutions, resilient digital infrastructure, and global partnerships that promote transparency, trust, and inclusion.
