From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu is the head of the newly inaugurated Presidential Committee on the Implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), with a mandate to ensure robust, coordinated, and legally compliant execution of digital public infrastructure initiatives.
The move is aimed at aligning Nigeria’s digital strategies with its broader development goals.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen, during the inauguration at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, stressed the pivotal role of DPI in fostering Nigeria’s digital economy.
Represented by Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, the SGF said: “DPI is the key to unlocking new avenues for growth, creating jobs, improving public service delivery and empowering our citizens.
“To achieve this vision, we must establish a well-coordinated and robust governance structure to drive its implementation,” he stated.
The Presidential Committee, chaired by President Bola Tinubu, is charged with providing strategic direction and coordinating the seamless integration of three core pillars: Digital Identity, Financial Payments, and Data Exchange. The initiative is expected to foster innovation and evidence-based decision-making in governance.
Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, reiterated the commission’s commitment to advancing economic growth and improving the quality of life for Nigerians through the digital infrastructure framework.
“We acknowledge our full responsibilities to contribute meaningfully to advance economic growth, enhance citizen engagement and improve overall quality of life through DPI. NIMC pledges her full support and cooperation on this noble endeavour, and together we shall work diligently to ensure the implementation of DPI in Nigeria,” she said.
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, stressed the need to unify government databases to enable seamless data exchange and improve the life experience of Nigerian citizens.
Managing Director of the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Premier Oiwoh, highlighted ongoing collaborations with NIMC to verify National Identity Numbers and Bank Verification Numbers, ensuring secure and efficient financial transactions through linked databases.
Other members are Secretary to the Government of the Federation (Member/Secretariat), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (Member), Attorney General of the Federation and Hon. Minister of Justice (Member) and Hon. Minister of Finance (Member).
Others are Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy(Member), Minister of Interior (Member), Minister of Budget and National Planning (Member, Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) (Member) and Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA (Member).