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By Chinenye Anuforo
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Long queues at government offices, ghost workers draining the public payroll and welfare funds diverted before reaching the poor, are clearly governance failures Nigerians know too well.
But experts have argued that these cancerous traits are not insurmountable if there is sufficient political will to complement the right digital reforms and ultimately unlock trillions of naira needed for economic elevation.
At the just-concluded eGovernment Summit in Lagos, stakeholders from government, regulatory bodies and the private sector agreed that digital governance is central to Nigeria’s development. They pointed out that while the country lags behind globally, it has the opportunity to leapfrog if policies are matched with political will, investment in infrastructure, and citizen trust.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), highlighted how digital governance could transform Nigeria’s economy, if privacy, trust, and inclusivity remain at the heart of implementation. “E-government delivers measurable gains: boosting revenue, cutting costs, reducing corruption and strengthening trust and participation. But at the heart of it is accountability. When people can trust what you do with their data, they will trust you with governance itself”, he said.
Citing global studies, he noted that digitizing government payments could yield up to 4.5% of GDP annually for Nigeria. Already, reforms such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which has saved over ₦10 trillion, and the elimination of more than 70,000 ghost workers through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), provide a glimpse of what is possible when technology drives governance.
Lanre Ajayi, Convener of the summit and Executive Chairman of DigiServe Network Services, reinforced this point, stressing that e-government thrives best when government and the private sector work hand in hand. He warned that Nigeria’s global ranking, 144th on the United Nations e-Government Development Index, should serve as a wake-up call. “We can either see it as a sign of failure or as an opportunity to change the narrative. The fact that we are here today is proof that collaboration is possible, and that transformation is within reach,” he said.
From the industry side, the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) urged government to address barriers such as high right-of-way charges and uneven broadband rollout, which slow last-mile connectivity. According to ATCON’s leadership, “e-government cannot thrive without broadband. If we want to digitize public services, we must first make internet access affordable, fast, and reliable across the country.”
The Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA) added that digital identity and local internet infrastructure are critical foundations for building trust. They emphasized that Nigeria must strengthen adoption of its country domain, .ng, and support homegrown digital ecosystems if it is to truly localize its digital transformation.
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Reiterating the importance of inclusivity, the Internet Society of Nigeria reminded policymakers that over half of rural Nigerians remain offline. Without deliberate policies to close this gap, they warned, e-government risks becoming an elite service for urban residents, leaving behind millions in rural communities.
Identity management also dominated discussions. The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) highlighted progress in linking millions of Nigerians to the National Identification Number (NIN), which has become a backbone for social investment programs. Through this system, over ₦24 billion in conditional cash transfers has reached vulnerable households, tracked in real time to prevent diversion.
For Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the future lies in building secure and interoperable platforms that allow government services to speak to one another. He argued that fragmentation where agencies build isolated systemshas slowed progress. “If we want real transformation, platforms must connect seamlessly, with citizens at the center,” he said.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also highlighted the regulator’s role in ensuring that telecom operators deliver the bandwidth required to support Nigeria’s digital ambitions. NCC officials noted that with more undersea cables landing in the country, the challenge is no longer capacity at the shore but distributing that capacity inland.
Yet, alongside optimism, speakers repeatedly returned to the issue of trust. Olatunji warned that even the most advanced platforms would fail if citizens doubt the government’s intentions. He cited how many small businesses resisted registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission despite offers of free registration, simply because they did not trust what would be done with their data.
Cybersecurity was another issue discussed. With Africa witnessing a surge in cyberattacks, stakeholders cautioned that weak security could erode confidence in digital services. Olatunji pointed to recent breaches in India and the United States as lessons for Nigeria: “We must bank in security and privacy from the start, not as an afterthought.”
Speakers also drew lessons from abroad. Estonia’s near-total digitization of public services, India’s Aadhaar-driven welfare payments, and Kenya’s eCitizen portal were cited as models Nigeria could adapt. But as Ajayi reminded the audience, “copy-and-paste will not work. We must build systems that reflect Nigeria’s realities.”
Stakeholders agreed on a set of priorities: strengthen broadband infrastructure, cut the cost of fiber deployment, expand digital literacy for citizens and civil servants, embed privacy and cybersecurity into all platforms, and ensure that reforms reach state and local governments.
“E-government is not just about technology. It is about trust, accountability, and building a Nigeria where every citizen can access services quickly, securely, and transparently. If we get it right, the impact on our economy will be massive”, Olatunji concluded.
