The Nigerian government, through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has inaugurated a comprehensive new framework designed to systematically measure, analyze, and maximize the impact of digital technologies on Nigeria’s rapidly evolving economy.
The initiative officially kicked off at the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Workshop hosted at the e-Government Training Centre of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Abuja. The workshop assembled a diverse coalition of government institutions, regulatory bodies, academia, private sector leaders, and development partners to finalize the architectural blueprint that will guide a nationwide assessment of Nigeria’s digital landscape.
Delivering the welcome address, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Director of the Special Duties Unit, Mr. Olawumi Oladejo, stressed that building a globally competitive digital economy requires more than deploying technology. He noted that reliable evidence, trusted data, and strong institutional collaboration are essential for sustainable digital transformation.
While Inuwa observed that Nigeria has recorded remarkable progress in digital payments, broadband expansion, digital public services, innovation ecosystems, and digital entrepreneurship, he pinpointed a critical vulnerability:
“Without a harmonized national measurement system, it remains difficult to accurately assess the impact of these investments, identify existing gaps, and prioritize future interventions.”
The National Research Study is designed to bridge this exact gap, establishing a credible evidence base to understand how digital tools contribute to economic growth, employment, innovation, financial inclusion, public service delivery, and national competitiveness. The initiative directly aligns with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0).
Dr. Saidu Mohammed Kumo, Chairman of the Technical Steering Committee and Director of Research and Development at NITDA, added that while the nation’s digital economy is expanding at an unprecedented pace, the capacity to track its impact on productivity has lagged behind.
To resolve this, a multidisciplinary network of researchers from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones collaborated with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to design a rigorous, statistically sound framework.
The framework evaluates three core dimensions: digital infrastructure and access, digital capabilities and skills and digital adoption and the enabling environment
The initiative has garnered high-level cross-sector backing. Representing the Statistician General of the Federation, Mrs. Saadatu Hayatuddeen Auwal of the NBS described digital technology as the engine driving today’s economy. She reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to producing timely, reliable, and policy-driven statistics to support the nationwide data collection phase.
Speaking for the healthcare sector, Mrs. Ezedozie Adaora Ifeyinwa of the Federal Ministry of Health commended NITDA for including e-health as a primary pilot. She highlighted how tools like telemedicine and electronic records are transforming patient care, but urged the committee to carefully navigate sector-specific roadblocks.
“There is a vital need for consistent measurement of technology’s impact on health outcomes,” Mrs. Ifeyinwa noted, emphasizing the importance of addressing challenges like fragmented health data, varying levels of digital maturity across hospitals, and data sensitivity.
The validation workshop concluded with technical presentations and a collective agreement among stakeholders to stress-test the metrics, ensure they fit sector-specific realities, and eliminate data gaps. With the framework validated, Nigeria is poised to transition into an institutionalized national e-governance and digital economy measurement system, positioning the country as a highly structured, globally competitive digital hub.