The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has strengthened its collaboration with the Abia State Government to advance enterprise architecture reform and promote integrated, data-driven governance.
The renewed commitment was reaffirmed at the Future Enterprise & Data Architecture of Abia State workshop themed “One Citizen, One Identity: Unlocking Data-Driven Governance.”
The high-level forum brought together policymakers, technocrats and development partners to chart a pathway toward a unified digital public sector built on interoperability and citizen-centric service delivery.
The workshop, organised by Abia State’s Ministry of Budget and Planning, was declared open by Governor Alex Otti, represented by his deputy, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu. Discussions centred on strengthening interoperability among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to boost internally generated revenue and improve public service delivery.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Breaking Silos, Building One Government,” NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the agency’s Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnership, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, stressed that collaboration is critical to achieving meaningful digital transformation.
“One thing that is very clear is partnership and collaboration. If you want to take advantage of collective intelligence, then partnership is the key. If you want to succeed in building a unified government system, collaboration is the way to go,” he said.
Inuwa emphasised that digital transformation extends beyond technology deployment to include cultural and institutional change, warning that entrenched silos and resistance to reform could undermine even the most advanced systems.
“Digital transformation is as much about people as it is about process and technology. If culture resists change, it can undermine strategy at every level. We must move from control to collaboration, and from isolation to integration,” he added.
Highlighting NITDA’s strategic priorities, the DG disclosed that the agency is targeting 70 per cent digital literacy nationwide through structured interventions, including plans to train 30 million Nigerians across formal and informal sectors using digital learning platforms supported by community and institutional partnerships.
He also revealed that digital education is being integrated into school curricula at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, while civil servants across the federal public service are undergoing digital capacity development programmes to enhance efficiency and readiness for interoperable governance systems.
On interoperability, Inuwa described it as “not optional but a necessity” for ensuring data integrity, efficiency and innovation in governance. He noted that NITDA is developing a national interoperability framework and advancing Enterprise Architecture initiatives across government institutions to facilitate seamless data exchange.
“When we talk about interoperability, we mean that data generated in one agency should be accessible and usable by another in a consistent and secure format, without contradiction or confusion. That is how you build one government, not multiple disconnected systems,” he explained.
He added that a robust interoperability framework would improve internal government efficiency and provide a foundation for innovation, enabling startups and young innovators to develop solutions using structured public datasets.
Commending Abia State’s leadership for its vision, Inuwa expressed optimism about the state’s digital reform trajectory.
“If we achieve even 80 per cent of what has been presented here, Abia will not only lead among states, but it will also become a national reference point for digital innovation,” he said.
The workshop concluded with a call for stronger federal–state collaboration, policy alignment and sustained investment in digital capacity to ensure that the “One Citizen, One Identity” vision delivers measurable socio-economic impact.
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