Muhammad Basheer HotoroThe National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to open governance, transparency and inclusive digital development following the country’s recognition at the 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit held in Spain.
Nigeria emerged as the overall global winner in the Digital Governance category at the summit, which took place in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in recognition of its effective use of digital tools and policies to enhance transparency, accountability and citizen participation. The country also received a Regional Award for advancing Open Digital Governance across Africa and the Middle East.
NITDA disclosed on Monday that the awards and certificates were formally presented to its leadership during a visit by an OGP delegation to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the presentation, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, described the honours as a national achievement, noting that they reflected the collective efforts of government institutions, civil society organisations and the private sector.
“This is not just about NITDA. It is a national recognition, and every recognition comes with responsibility,” Inuwa said.
“Failure to execute our commitments will affect Nigeria’s image both locally and internationally. This is also not something NITDA can do in isolation.”
He attributed Nigeria’s global recognition to NITDA-led initiatives implemented in collaboration with civil society groups, including Dataphyte, which showcased inclusive and innovative approaches to digital governance at the summit.
The OGP Global Summit brought together over 1,500 participants, including government officials, policymakers and civil society leaders from across the world, to review progress and share experiences on open government initiatives.
Inuwa linked the recognition to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, highlighting digital transformation, transparency, economic diversification, job creation and efficient public service delivery as key priorities of the administration.
According to him, embedding openness and accountability into digital systems aligns with national goals of strengthening institutions, improving governance outcomes and rebuilding public trust.
He also stressed the importance of the OGP platform in fostering a strong multi-stakeholder approach within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and called on civil society, development partners, the private sector and public institutions to sustain their engagement.
Inuwa disclosed that NITDA had commenced internal reviews of its OGP commitments and was working with stakeholders to develop a clear execution strategy, including the creation of joint work streams to support implementation and ensure accountability.
Earlier, the leader of the OGP delegation, Olusoji Apampa, said the recognition was the result of strong collaboration between government and civil society, noting that NITDA played a key role in advancing digital governance reforms in Nigeria.
He expressed optimism that the awards would further strengthen ongoing reforms and accelerate the implementation of open digital governance initiatives across the country
