The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has detailed the agency’s deliberate transition from a rigid, bureaucratic civil service structure into a high-velocity and smart public sector organisation.
Speaking during a strategic visit from the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Charles Ebuebu, Inuwa revealed that the transformation was a necessity to overcome entrenched mindsets that often hinder innovation within the mainstream public service.
Inuwa noted that when the agency’s transformation drive began, between 70% and 80% of its workforce consisted of mainstream civil servants, which brought a set of rigid operational practices and a command-and-control mindset that the agency had to consciously dismantle.
“We started changing that narrative by focusing on people, resetting mindsets, building capacity, and fostering a culture that supports innovation and accountability,” Inuwa stated, emphasizing that no matter how advanced the technology, it cannot deliver value without the right people and efficient processes.
According to him, NITDA’s transformation was anchored on an integrated framework of people, process and technology, explaining that a key part of this was a comprehensive cultural reorientation aimed at creating psychological safety that allows staff to contribute ideas and challenge processes without fear of reprisal.
Key milestones in the transformation include the documentation and streamlining of 396 internal processes to eliminate repetitive executive approvals and optimize efficiency.
Furthermore, the agency implemented a delegation of power by redesigning routine tasks that previously required the Director General’s signature, effectively empowering departments to act as gatekeepers. To support these operational shifts, every NITDA staff member underwent mandatory Artificial Intelligence training to facilitate a smooth transition from manual administration to AI-enabled system management.
Meanwhile, the visit by the NBC leadership was aimed at exploring partnerships in digital transformation and regulatory frameworks, even as Inuwa noted that in Nigeria’s evolving ecosystem, transformation and regulation are inseparable.
To support the NBC’s own evolution, Inuwa offered to share NITDA’s Digital Transformation Playbook, a document capturing the lessons learned during their journey. He also proposed enrolling NBC staff in digital literacy initiatives developed alongside global partners like Cisco.
Responding to the presentation, NBC Director General Charles Ebuebu described the partnership as long overdue. He stressed that institutionalizing cooperation between the two agencies is critical to effectively regulating the convergence of media and technology while protecting Nigeria’s national interests.