Current State Analysis: Where Nigeria Stands in Its Digital Journey

When Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Communications and Digital Economy unveiled the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030), it marked an important milestone in our nation’s digital journey. Yet, as with any journey, understanding where you currently stand is essential before plotting the path forward. For Nigeria’s Federal Executive Bodies (FEBs), an honest assessment of our digital present reveals both encouraging progress and significant challenges.

The Digital Infrastructure Reality

Nigeria’s digital infrastructure presents a complex and uneven landscape. In major urban centres like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, connectivity has improved dramatically, with 4G coverage and emerging 5G networks beginning to transform possibilities for government operations. The Nigerian Communications Commission reports broadband penetration reached 45.57% as of December 2023 – a remarkable improvement from just 30.9% in 2018.

However, this national average masks significant disparities. Visit a Federal Secretariat in a state capital like Maiduguri or Sokoto, and the digital reality quickly becomes apparent. Bandwidth constraints, intermittent connectivity, and power instability create daily operational challenges. A civil servant in Lagos described the situation: ‘We often joke that we can tell the time by the power outages – they’re more reliable than the clock on the wall.’

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) infrastructure assessment found that less than 40% of federal government offices have reliable high-speed internet, with the situation worse at state and local levels. While mobile data provides a backstop, the cost and bandwidth limitations make it impractical for government operations requiring significant data transfer.

Beyond connectivity, federal data centres face capacity and security challenges. The Galaxy Backbone infrastructure, while improving, still struggles with the demands of modern digital government. During a recent stakeholder workshop in Abuja, an IT director from a key ministry acknowledged, ‘Our systems weren’t designed for the scale we’re now trying to achieve. We’re essentially trying to build a superhighway on a foundation designed for a footpath.’

The Policy Landscape: Islands of Excellence Amidst Fragmentation

Nigeria’s digital policy environment shows promising development but remains fragmented across multiple agencies and frameworks. Key policies including:

National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030)
National Broadband Plan (2020-2025)
Nigeria Data Protection Regulation
Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015
National e-Government Master Plan

These frameworks demonstrate serious intent, but implementation often falters in the face of overlapping mandates and coordination challenges. During a recent public sector technology forum in Abuja, a director from the Federal Ministry of Communications highlighted this challenge: ‘We have excellent policies on paper, but when multiple agencies have similar mandates, accountability becomes diffused.’

This fragmentation results in duplication of efforts and resources. For instance, at least three different federal bodies have developed separate digital identity frameworks, each with their own implementation plans and budgets. The National Identity Management Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and Nigeria Immigration Service all maintain separate identity systems with limited interoperability.

Regulatory frameworks for procurement pose another significant challenge. The Bureau of Public Procurement processes, while designed to ensure transparency, often impede rapid technology acquisition. A project that might take weeks to implement in the private sector can take months or even years in government, by which time the technology may already be approaching obsolescence.

Human Capital: The Critical Gap

Perhaps the most significant challenge in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey lies in human capital. The civil service, with its ageing workforce, faces a widening digital skills gap. Federal Civil Service Commission data indicates that over 60% of civil servants are over 45 years old, with many approaching retirement age. This demographic reality creates both challenges and opportunities for digital transformation.

‘I’ve been using the same filing system for twenty years,’ explained a mid-level civil servant in the Federal Ministry of Education. ‘Now they want me to learn a completely new digital system six months before I retire. Where’s the motivation?’

This sentiment reflects a broader challenge of change resistance. Many civil servants perceive digitisation as a threat rather than an opportunity, fearing job displacement or loss of influence in a more transparent system.

The skills gap exists at multiple levels:

Leadership level: Many senior officials lack the digital literacy to champion transformation effectively. In a recent anonymised survey of Directors and Permanent Secretaries across federal ministries, only 23% reported feeling ‘very comfortable’ with digital technologies beyond basic email and word processing.

Management level: Middle managers often struggle to redesign processes for digital environments, attempting instead to simply digitise existing bureaucratic procedures without fundamental rethinking.

Operational level: Basic digital literacy varies widely amongst frontline staff, with many requiring significant training to utilise new systems effectively.

The situation is compounded by the ‘brain drain’ phenomenon. When talented IT professionals are recruited into government, they often leave for private sector positions offering significantly better compensation. A senior IT officer in a federal ministry earns approximately ₦150,000-300,000 monthly, while the same skills command ₦500,000-1,500,000 in the private sector.

Success Stories Amidst Challenges

Despite these challenges, several notable success stories demonstrate what’s possible when leadership, resources, and expertise aline:

The Treasury Single Account (TSA): Implemented in 2015, the TSA consolidated over 17,000 government bank accounts into a unified system, dramatically improving financial transparency and eliminating billions in leakage. The former Minister of Finance reported that over ₦9 trillion flowed through the TSA in its first year, with significant interest savings for government.

Tax Identification Number (TIN) Registration System: The Federal Inland Revenue Service’s integrated tax registration system has significantly improved revenue collection efficiency, with taxpayer registration time reduced from weeks to minutes.

IPPIS (Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System): Despite implementation challenges, IPPIS has eliminated thousands of ghost workers from government payrolls, saving billions annually. A senior official in the Office of the Accountant General noted, ‘Before IPPIS, we literally had civil servants who had been ‘deceased’ for years still collecting salaries.’

These successes share common elements: strong executive sponsorship, dedicated resources, clear objectives, and effective change management. They demonstrate that transformation is possible within Nigeria’s unique context.

Where We Stand Regionally and Globally

In the regional context, Nigeria shows a mixed performance. The UN E-Government Development Index ranks Nigeria 141st globally, behind African peers like South Africa (78th), Tunisia (80th), and Ghana (101st). However, Nigeria outperforms many regional neighbours and has improved its position over recent years.

The World Bank’s Digital Adoption Index similarly places Nigeria in a middle position within Africa – ahead of many but significantly behind continental leaders. This positioning suggests both the distance we must travel and the realistic possibility of rapid advancement with focussed effort.

The Citizen Experience: Disconnection and Fragmentation

Perhaps the most telling measure of our current state is the citizen experience when interacting with government. For many Nigerians, government services remain frustratingly opaque, time-consuming, and often paper-based.

A small business owner in Lagos described her experience: ‘To register my business, I had to visit four different government offices, fill the same information on different forms, and pay officials at each step. It took three weeks and multiple follow-up visits. My friend in Ghana did the entire process online in two days.’

This fragmentation extends to digital services that do exist. Each agency typically develops its own portal, with different user interfaces, authentication systems, and workflows. Citizens must create and maintain multiple accounts and learn different systems for each government service they access.

The National e-Government Portal, meant to provide a unified entry point, remains limited in functionality and awareness amongst citizens. In a recent street survey in six state capitals, less than 15% of respondents were aware of the portal’s existence.

Critical Obstacles to Progress

Based on this assessment, several critical obstacles emerge:

Infrastructure limitations: Inadequate connectivity, power instability, and limited data centre capacity constrain what’s possible.

Policy fragmentation: Overlapping mandates and poor coordination between agencies lead to duplication and inefficiency.

Skills gap: Limited digital capabilities at all levels of government impede both planning and implementation.

Legacy systems: Outdated systems with poor documentation and integration capabilities create technical debt.

Funding constraints: Inadequate and unpredictable funding undermines long-term planning and implementation.

Change resistance: Cultural resistance and fear of transparency create implementation barriers.

Citizen trust deficit: Low trust in government digital initiatives limits adoption and engagement.

The Foundation for Moving Forward

Despite these challenges, Nigeria has established important foundations for accelerating digital transformation:

Policy framework: The National Digital Economy Policy provides a holistic vision that can guide implementation.

Institutional structures: Agencies like NITDA, Galaxy Backbone, and the Federal Ministry of Communications provide institutional homes for digital initiatives.

Success models: Demonstrated successes like TSA and IPPIS provide templates for future initiatives.

Growing expertise: A small but growing cadre of digital leaders within government is emerging, often from returnees from diaspora or private sector.

Citizen demand: Increasingly digitally-savvy citizens create demand pressure for better government digital services.

Conclusion: Realistic Optimism

This assessment paints a picture that calls for realistic optimism. Nigeria’s digital transformation journey in government is underway but remains in its early stages. Significant challenges exist across infrastructure, policy, human capital, and implementation domains.

However, demonstrated successes show what’s possible, and the foundations for acceleration exist. With proper strategic planning, resource allocation, and implementation approaches, Nigeria can accelerate its digital transformation journey.

In our next blog post, we’ll explore how to build an effective strategic roadmap for digital transformation that addresses these challenges and leverages Nigeria’s unique strengths. We’ll examine how to set realistic objectives, engage stakeholders effectively, and allocate resources efficiently within Nigeria’s specific context.

What’s clear is that digital transformation isn’t optional for Nigeria’s Federal Executive Bodies – it’s imperative. In a rapidly digitalising world, effective governance increasingly depends on digital capabilities. The question isn’t whether Nigeria’s government will transform, but how quickly and effectively it can do so.

This is the second in our five-part series examining digital transformation in Nigeria’s Federal Executive Bodies. Our next post will focus on strategic planning approaches tailored to Nigeria’s unique context.

Written by: Austen Jones