Digital ID is trust layer of Nigeria’s digital economy.... Says Inuwa, NITDA DG

"Trusted digital identity could transform Nigeria’s innovation landscape by enabling authorised innovators and service providers to build on existing foundational identity infrastructure rather than creating fragmented identity systems." Inuwa 

.... "This would accelerate customer onboarding, reduce verification costs and expand access to trusted digital services across sectors including fintech, healthcare, education, agriculture, insurance and government.

.... Says “Digital identity is the trust layer of the digital economy.” 

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has described digital identity as the “trust layer” needed to unlock Nigeria’s digital economy and expand access to essential services.

Abdullahi stated this while speaking at a high-level panel session, “Identity in Action and Access to the Digital Economy,” convened by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) during the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) discussions on “The Digital Public Ecosystem: Identity, Trust & Inclusive Access.”

He said trusted digital identity could transform Nigeria’s innovation landscape by enabling authorised innovators and service providers to build on existing foundational identity infrastructure rather than creating fragmented identity systems.

According to him, this would accelerate customer onboarding, reduce verification costs and expand access to trusted digital services across sectors including fintech, healthcare, education, agriculture, insurance and government.

“Digital identity is the trust layer of the digital economy,” Abdullahi said.

The NITDA boss explained that interoperable digital infrastructure could enable citizens to access multiple services without repeatedly providing the same information to different institutions.

Using the example of a farmer, he said an individual could establish identity through the National Identification Number (NIN), verify eligibility through an agricultural platform, receive support through a payment system and interact with authorised government services through trusted data exchange.

He said the focus should now shift from merely expanding the scale of digital identity to converting it into practical and trusted utility for citizens.

“Digital identity is not the destination; it is the doorway,” Abdullahi said.

He added that Nigeria’s objective should be to build a secure, trusted and interoperable digital ecosystem capable of enabling citizens, regardless of their location, gender or economic status, to access services, participate safely in the digital economy and take advantage of emerging opportunities.

The NITDA DG participated in the panel alongside Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; Aderemi Adebowale, National Coordinator of the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme; and Olugbenga Agboola, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave.

The session was moderated by Diwura Oladepo, Executive Director of Technology for Social Change and Development (Tech4Dev).