Collaborations to enhance digital adoption and growth are crucial for Africa's economic advancement, modernizing infrastructure, fostering innovation, and promoting secure data exchange, among others. These partnerships facilitate seamless digital interactions, unlocking economic potential, and contributing to inclusive growth and prosperity in Africa.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have unveiled a strategic partnership to address challenges in identity management, payment systems, and data exchange. This collaboration, in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, was announced on April 17 by NITDA on X (formerly Twitter).

“Today, we have agreed to set up a technical working crew to look at how we can harmonize and implement national public key infrastructure, how we can work together to build the Nigerian DPI stack, how we can work together on the data exchange platform and to strengthen our enterprise Architecture across MDAs to give a 360 view of all government investments in IT,” said NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.

This partnership focuses on integrating Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance data security and enable seamless digital exchanges in Nigeria, fostering innovation and economic growth across sectors within the country's digital landscape.

The collaboration between the two agencies is contributing to efforts to digitize public administration. The UN E-Government Survey 2022 revealed that Nigeria ranked 140 out of 193 countries, with an E-Government Development Index (EGDI) of 0.4525, indicating its readiness to utilize information and communication technologies for public services.

While Nigeria's EGDI falls below the global average of 0.5824, it marks a slight improvement from its 2020 ranking of 141. The E-Government Development Index (EGDI) gauges a nation’s preparedness and ability to utilize information and communication technologies for the provision of public services.

The initiative marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s digital journey, signifying a transformative era for the nation’s digital economy and societal progress. It is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the way digital interactions are conducted in Nigeria, paving the way for a more secure and efficient digital future.

Hikmatu Bilali