Kashif Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Authority of Nigeria; Source: NTIDA.gov.ng
Trust is a key element for governments’ digital transformation and development strategies. Kashif Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General, Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency, said this.
Abdullahi delivered the keynote address at the 17th International Conference on the Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGov) in Pretoria, South Africa, last week.
In his speech, he highlighted how digital transformation has dramatically changed the way people live, work and socialize. It brings immeasurable benefits to the well-being and progress of humanity and society. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring digital initiatives serve the population and strengthen service delivery.
“These benefits can only be achieved if we work together to bridge all digital divides between and within countries,” Abdullahi said. “Technology makes our lives better, but people make technology better. You can’t talk about technology without talking about people.”
That’s why strengthening trust between governments and their people is key. This is the most important step in changing the continent’s narrative.
“Governments today don’t need command and control. They need to build trust and inspire their people. If we want people to do what we want them to do, we look at the intersection of trust and people. ”, he said.
The public sector’s focus needs to move away from prioritizing traditional infrastructure such as roads and rail and expand to the digital infrastructure of the future. It must be a deliberate response aligned with trust, provision of citizen services and respect for human rights. This is the concept of a secure, transparent and trustworthy digital public infrastructure (DPI) as outlined in the UN’s recently released Universal DPI Safeguards Framework: A Guide to Building Safe and Inclusive DPI for Societies.
“It must be a shared system for all citizens, built on open standards, secure and interoperable,” Abdullahi said. “We must avoid proprietary solutions managed by one entity. Everyone must benefit from fair access. Connectivity is also a human right, and we must avoid proprietary solutions managed by one entity. Both need to be considered on a societal scale.”
Inclusivity is central to developing a DPI that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms. Governments exist to serve the people, he said, and digital is key to building trust through a technology-enabled social contract.
“Technology allows us to create interactive platforms that provide citizen feedback and increase trust in government services,” Abdullahi said. “Digital is transparent and contributes to visibility on both sides, while security and privacy are essential to ensure the reliability of the system itself.
“Nigeria has a budget portal where citizens can track budget execution. If someone says they are implementing a project in a particular location, citizens can ask people living in that area for confirmation. Masu.”
The use of this technology creates accountability and transparency, and is powered by solutions like blockchain, allowing everyone to track information, expand trust, and embrace inclusivity. Citizens can become part of the process and contribute through accessible technology.
“In Nigeria, the president receives feedback from the people about his performance. He sets targets for each ministry to achieve and the people can give feedback on whether they have been achieved or not,” Abdullahi said. . “Technology should support people, be ecosystem-driven, and prioritize the needs of citizens.”
Governments must embrace this digital shift and leverage the full potential of DPI, but in a way that solutions are relevant and fill gaps. In some cases, projects are rushed to implementation or solutions developed without proper research, which can lead to service delivery delays and resident dissatisfaction. When building a DPI on the African continent, it is important to have visibility to proactively respond to local needs.
“We need to increase digital literacy so people can use technology, we need to design healthcare around strategic access and capabilities, and we need to prioritize all stakeholders through every part of the process. Yes,” Abdullahi said. “You can’t have software engineers sitting in cubicles building DPI. You need regulators, lawyers, experts, and people who understand what the country and its people want.”
Abdullahi concluded that the efforts are already showing promise. For example, in South Africa and Kenya, solutions such as HANIS and M-Pesa are building blocks for resilient and scalable DPI.
“We need to meet the needs of our citizens, solve their problems and ignite trust by connecting the dots with solutions built with the continent in mind,” he said.
