NITDA Moves to Measure Nigeria's Digital Economy with 81 Growth Indicators

A Group photograph of Representative of the Director General of NITDA, Researchers and committee.

"Nigeria had recorded significant progress in digital payments, broadband expansion, digital public services, innovation and entrepreneurship." Kashifu 

.... Says "the absence of a harmonised national measurement system has made it difficult to accurately assess the impact of these investments and identify priority areas for intervention."

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched a national initiative to establish a comprehensive framework for measuring the impact of digital technologies on Nigeria's economy, a move aimed at strengthening data-driven policymaking and accelerating the country's digital transformation.

The initiative was unveiled at a Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Workshop in Abuja, where government agencies, regulators, academia, private sector operators, development partners and researchers met to fine-tune a national measurement framework ahead of a nationwide study.

Oladejo Olawumi, Director of Special Duties , representing the Director General of NITDA in delivering the welcome address at STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP ON THE INDICATORS AND MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORK.

Speaking at the event, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Director of the Special Duties Unit, Mr. Olawumi Oladejo, said Nigeria had recorded significant progress in digital payments, broadband expansion, digital public services, innovation and entrepreneurship. However, he noted that the absence of a harmonised national measurement system has made it difficult to accurately assess the impact of these investments and identify priority areas for intervention.

According to him, the study will provide a credible evidence base on how digital technologies contribute to economic growth, employment, innovation, financial inclusion, improved public service delivery and national competitiveness.

He explained that the initiative aligns with NITDA's Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), which prioritises technology research and evidence-based policymaking.

Dr Muhammad Saidu Kumo, Director Research and Development, delivering his address at the Stakeholder Engagement program at the Public Service Institute Nigeria, Kubwa, Abuja.

Chairman of the Technical Steering Committee and NITDA's Director of Research and Development, Dr. Saidu Mohammed Kumo, disclosed that a multidisciplinary team of researchers, working with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), developed the framework to address gaps in tracking the impact of Nigeria's fast-growing digital economy.

He said the framework focuses on three key dimensions—digital infrastructure and access, digital capabilities and skills, and digital adoption and the enabling environment—across five strategic sectors: financial services, government services, e-commerce and digital trade, telecommunications, and e-health.

Kumo revealed that the framework contains 81 core indicators designed to measure how digital technologies are transforming businesses, governance and society, with stakeholders reviewing the indicators before nationwide data collection begins.

The National Bureau of Statistics reaffirmed its support for the initiative, describing reliable data as critical to understanding the contribution of digital technologies to national development.

Also speaking, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ezedozie Adaora Ifeyinwa, welcomed the inclusion of the health sector among the pilot areas, noting that technologies such as electronic health records, telemedicine and digital disease surveillance are reshaping healthcare delivery.

She, however, called for stronger collaboration to address challenges including fragmented health data, uneven digital maturity across health institutions and data privacy concerns.

The workshop concluded with stakeholders endorsing efforts to institutionalize a national digital economy measurement system expected to strengthen strategic planning, attract investment and enhance Nigeria's competitiveness in the global digital economy.