The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has organised a one-day capacity-building workshop on Information Technology Contract Management for legal officers of parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
The workshop, held in Abuja, was designed to enhance participants’ expertise in procurement procedures, negotiation techniques, compliance frameworks, and dispute resolution mechanisms in IT contracting — a critical area for Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
Representing the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the Agency’s Director of Regulations and Compliance, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, underscored the importance of sound IT contracts in shaping governance and service delivery.
“Digital transformation is no longer an ambition but a necessity. The agreements guiding technology adoption and deployment carry long-term consequences for Nigeria’s development,” Edet said.
He noted that contracts within the IT space must be “technologically sound, legally robust, commercially fair, and strategically aligned with institutional mandates.”
Inuwa, through his representative, urged participants to approach the training as more than just an academic exercise. “Let this event be more than a training. It should be a prompt for collaboration, a forum for critical thinking, and a commencement for institutional reform. Engage actively, ask questions, challenge assumptions, and leave here not just informed, but empowered,” he charged.
Participants, drawn from law, technology, finance, and administration, were praised for their commitment to strengthening public contracting standards. Their active engagement, according to NITDA, reflects a shared dedication to transparency, efficiency, and innovation across government institutions.
The workshop also created opportunities for networking and peer learning, enabling officers to exchange experiences and develop solutions to common challenges in IT contract management. Attendees described the initiative as timely, citing the growing complexity of technology agreements and the increasing demand for robust legal safeguards in Nigeria’s digital sector.
By equipping legal officers with the skills to manage technology contracts effectively, NITDA has reaffirmed its leadership role in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. The initiative aligns with the Agency’s core mandate of capacity building and is expected to strengthen institutional processes across ministries, departments, and agencies.
Ultimately, the programme aims to improve public service delivery, enhance transparency in technology engagements, and contribute to the country’s sustainable development goals.
About The Author
