Nigeria, Benin Deepen Digital Alliance to Drive AI, E-Government Push

Representative of the NITDA DG, Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, presenting the SRAP 2.0 document to Erlong Tildy Head of international partnerships at ASIN

“Our goal is to move government institutions beyond basic digitalisation to full digital transformation, and ultimately, to build an intelligent, data-driven government powered by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence." Inuwa.

The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, in a strategic move, renewed its partnership with the Agence des Systèmes d’Information et du Numérique (ASIN), the Information Systems and Digital Agency of the Republic of Benin, that strengthens bilateral ties aimed at accelerating digital transformation, digital public infrastructure and innovation-driven governance across West Africa.

The renewed partnership was reaffirmed during a courtesy visit by the Beninese delegation to NITDA headquarters in Abuja, where both agencies explored areas of collaboration, exchange of best practices and strategies to deepen digital development within the region.

Speaking during the engagement, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the agency’s Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Aristotle Onumo, said regional cooperation remains critical to building resilient digital ecosystems capable of supporting Africa’s economic growth.

He said NITDA has continued to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through policies, standards and strategic frameworks aimed at modernising governance and improving public service delivery.

According to him, the agency has developed key frameworks, including the Enterprise Governance Framework, Digital Transformation Framework and Software Quality Assurance Framework, to guide Ministries, Departments and Agencies in their transition from basic digitalisation to full digital transformation.

“Our goal is to move government institutions beyond basic digitalisation to full digital transformation, and ultimately, to build an intelligent, data-driven government powered by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,” he said.

Inuwa disclosed that NITDA has reviewed government IT projects worth over ₦1.5 trillion since 2018 to ensure compliance, technical alignment and value for money.

He added that the intervention has saved the Federal Government more than ₦300 billion by eliminating duplication, promoting shared services and improving the execution of digital projects across MDAs.

On digital public infrastructure, he said Nigeria has moved from fragmented agency-to-agency data exchanges to a more integrated and citizen-focused ecosystem through the Nigerian Data Exchange platform.

He noted that the proposed e-Government and Digital Economy Bill would provide the legal backing needed to strengthen the platform and institutionalise digital collaboration across government institutions.

The NITDA boss also highlighted the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2024–2027, which aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and prioritises digital literacy, cybersecurity, research and development, innovation, inclusive access and strategic partnerships.

Group photograph 

Earlier, ASIN’s Head of International Partnerships, Tildy Erlong, said the visit followed a recent Smart Africa workshop in Abuja and was aimed at learning from Nigeria’s digital transformation journey while strengthening institutional cooperation between both countries.

She explained that ASIN serves as the operational agency under Benin Republic’s digital ministry and is responsible for implementing strategic digital development projects in collaboration with institutions such as the national identity agency, ANIP, and cybersecurity agency, CENIN.

Erlong revealed that about 98 per cent of Benin’s estimated 13.6 million population has been enrolled on the country’s digital identity platform, while more than 60 government institutions are connected through its XROAD interoperability platform, enabling the delivery of over 250 digital services.

She added that Benin is prioritising digital inclusion, open-source systems and the deployment of artificial intelligence to improve service delivery in healthcare, education and the justice sector.