The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to deepening inter-agency collaboration as Nigeria’s digital ecosystem continues to evolve.
Inuwa made this known while receiving the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr Charles Ebuebu, on a courtesy visit aimed at exploring strategic partnerships in digital transformation and regulatory frameworks across Nigeria’s media and technology sectors.
Speaking during the meeting, the NITDA boss stressed that digital transformation and regulation are inseparable in a rapidly evolving digital environment. He described digital transformation as a continuous journey rather than a one-off project, noting that it requires constant improvement, periodic target-setting, and organisational adaptability to emerging realities.
He explained that NITDA deliberately embarked on a transformational journey to reposition itself from a traditional civil service institution into a high-velocity, smart public sector organisation. According to him, when the agency began this process, a significant proportion of its workforce came from the mainstream civil service, bringing entrenched bureaucratic mindsets and rigid operational practices.
“More than 70 or 80 per cent of our staff came from the mainstream public service, and we understand the mindset of public servants. That informed our decision to consciously change the narrative by focusing on people, resetting mindsets, building capacity, and fostering a culture that supports innovation and accountability,” Inuwa said.
He noted that NITDA’s digital transformation strategy is anchored on three core pillars—people, processes, and technology—emphasising that technology alone cannot deliver value without the right people and efficient processes in place.
Inuwa disclosed that the agency undertook a comprehensive cultural reorientation programme supported by cultural audits and initiatives designed to create psychological safety within the organisation. This, he said, empowered staff at all levels to freely contribute ideas, challenge existing processes constructively, and collaborate both horizontally and vertically without fear of reprisal.
According to him, culture remains the foundation of any successful strategy, adding that no matter how well-designed a strategy may be, execution will fail without the right organisational culture.
He further revealed that NITDA adopted an integrated transformation framework covering people, process, culture, content, and technology, which enabled the agency to identify and dismantle deeply rooted bureaucratic tendencies such as command-and-control structures, risk aversion, and excessive dependence on top-down directives. These reforms, he said, paved the way for trust-based delegation, inter-departmental collaboration, and process optimisation.
Providing further insight, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA documented over 396 internal processes, many of which were subsequently streamlined to eliminate inefficiencies and repetitive executive approvals. He explained that routine operational tasks that previously required multiple approvals at the Director General’s level were redesigned to empower departments as gatekeepers, allowing top management to focus on strategic priorities. This optimisation, he added, laid the foundation for automation and the integration of digital tools.
On capacity building, the NITDA boss revealed that all staff underwent mandatory artificial intelligence (AI) training, reinforcing the agency’s position that AI is a tool for enhancing productivity rather than replacing human capital. He noted that staff across departments now leverage AI to improve workflows, generate ideas, and transition from manual administrative roles to AI-enabled system administration.
Inuwa emphasised that technology deployment at NITDA is driven strictly by business value rather than trend adoption, stressing that technology must support clearly defined processes and organisational objectives. He also disclosed that the agency has developed a comprehensive digital transformation playbook documenting lessons learned from its reform journey, which it is willing to share with NBC and other government institutions.
To deepen collaboration with NBC, Inuwa proposed areas of partnership including sharing the digital transformation playbook, delivering tailored training and capacity-building programmes, enrolling NBC staff in digital literacy initiatives developed with global technology partners such as Cisco, and providing technical support to modernise regulatory frameworks in line with the evolving digital and media landscape.
Earlier in his remarks, NBC Director General Charles Ebuebu called for closer collaboration between both agencies, describing the partnership as long overdue amid rapid media and technology convergence. He noted that while he had engaged the NITDA DG on several occasions, it was important to institutionalise cooperation to address emerging developments in media, technology, data governance, and Nigeria’s digital future.
Ebuebu stressed that a strategic partnership between NBC and NITDA is critical to effectively regulating the evolving media ecosystem, harnessing technology for content creation and distribution, promoting the growth of local media, facilitating knowledge transfer, and safeguarding Nigeria’s cultural and national interests.
