Measuring Success: Ensuring Sustainable Digital Transformation in Nigeria

Digital transformation is not a destination but a journey—one that requires continuous evaluation, adjustment, and renewal. For Nigeria’s Federal Executive Bodies (FEBs), the challenge extends beyond initial implementation to creating sustainable systems that deliver lasting value to citizens and government alike. As we approach the conclusion of our series, we turn to the critical questions: How do we measure success? How do we ensure these digital initiatives endure beyond initial enthusiasm? And what vision should guide Nigeria’s digital future?

KPIs That Matter in the Nigerian Context

Measurement frameworks imported from other contexts often miss Nigeria’s unique priorities and challenges. A contextually relevant measurement approach must balance universal digital transformation metrics with indicators that specifically matter in our environment.

Service Delivery Metrics

Accessibility Indicators: Given Nigeria’s significant digital divide, accessibility metrics are particularly important. Beyond measuring online service availability, successful FEBs track:

Geographic distribution of service access (urban vs. rural)
Access via different channels (web, mobile, USSD, physical centres)
Inclusion metrics for vulnerable populations

The Nigeria Social Investment Programme exemplifies this approach by tracking not just total digital enrolments but specifically monitoring participation from the lowest-income quintile and traditionally excluded regions.

Efficiency Gains: Time and cost savings represent universal metrics, but in Nigeria’s context, additional considerations include:

Reduction in required physical visits to government offices
Decrease in unofficial payments (reflecting reduced corruption opportunities)
Transportation cost savings for citizens

A senior official from the Federal Road Safety Corps noted: ‘When we digitised driver’s licence renewals, the most significant benefit wasn’t government cost savings but the elimination of multiple journeys citizens previously needed to make. For someone travelling from a rural area to a state capital, this represents thousands of naira saved.’

User Satisfaction: Beyond standard satisfaction surveys, leading Nigerian agencies employ:

Community feedback sessions in local languages
Comparative satisfaction metrics between digital and traditional channels
Problem resolution rates for different demographic groups

The Federal Inland Revenue Service’s digital tax filing initiative measures not just overall satisfaction but specifically tracks metrics for first-time digital users, recognising the unique challenges of digital transition.

Operational Impact Metrics

Process Transformation: Success metrics should capture fundamental process improvements rather than simply digitising existing processes:

Reduction in process steps and handoffs
Decreased exception handling requirements
Improved process standardisation across departments

The Corporate Affairs Commission tracks not just faster business registration times but the elimination of previously redundant process steps, reducing the total requirements from citizens by over 40%.

Data Utilisation: As Nigerian FEBs become more data-driven, metrics tracking effective data use include:

Cross-agency data sharing instances
Data-informed policy decisions
Predictive analytics implementations

The National Bureau of Statistics has developed a ‘data utilisation index’ that measures how frequently agency data is accessed and applied in decision-making across government.

Security and Compliance: In Nigeria’s challenging security environment, specific metrics include:

Security incident response times
System recovery capabilities
Compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation

A cybersecurity advisor to multiple FEBs emphasised: ‘International security frameworks provide important standards, but we must adapt them to Nigeria’s specific threat landscape, which includes unique patterns of social engineering and identity fraud.’

Value Creation Metrics

Economic Impact: Digital transformation should ultimately contribute to Nigeria’s broader economic development:

Business formation rate increases
Regulatory compliance improvements
Foreign direct investment influenced by digital government

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council tracks correlation between digital service improvements and Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business indicators, demonstrating the economic value of transformation.

Trust and Transparency: Given historical trust deficits in government, specific metrics include:

Public procurement transparency metrics
Budget execution visibility
Citizen engagement in oversight

The Budget Office of the Federation’s transparency portal tracks not just publication of budget data but citizen engagement with this information and subsequent accountability actions.

Sustainability Indicators: Long-term value requires sustainable operations:

Skill retention rates in digital teams
System maintenance adequacy
Technology refresh planning and execution

Galaxy Backbone has developed a ‘digital sustainability index’ that evaluates whether agencies have the financial, technical, and human resources to maintain systems over time.

Feedback Mechanisms That Work in Nigerian Government Settings

Effective feedback loops are essential for continuous improvement but must be designed with Nigeria’s unique cultural and institutional context in mind.

Citizen Feedback Approaches

Multi-Channel Feedback Systems: Recognising Nigeria’s diverse access preferences:

USSD-based feedback for feature phone users
WhatsApp feedback channels (leveraging Nigeria’s most popular messaging platform)
Traditional suggestion boxes at service points
Voice-based feedback for areas with low literacy

The National Identity Management Commission implements this multi-channel approach, receiving over 60% of citizen feedback through WhatsApp and USSD rather than web forms.

Cultural Adaptation: Feedback mechanisms alined with cultural preferences:

Community dialogs facilitated by respected local figures
Feedback sessions following traditional consultation patterns
Gender-sensitive approaches that create safe spaces for women’s input

A community engagement specialist working with the National Social Investment Programme observed: ‘We found that women were reluctant to provide critical feedback in mixed public settings but would share detailed insights in women-only discussion groups led by female facilitators.’

Closing the Feedback Loop: Demonstrating responsiveness to feedback:

Public ‘You Said, We Did’ campaigns
Transparent tracking of improvement actions
Recognition of citizens whose feedback led to improvements

The Federal Road Safety Corps implemented a ‘citizen improvement champion’ programme that publicly recognises and rewards citizens whose feedback leads to service enhancements.

Internal Feedback Systems

Civil Servant Insights: Frontline staff often possess the deepest understanding of operational realities:

Anonymous suggestion systems that protect staff from potential repercussions
Cross-hierarchical improvement teams
‘A Day in the Life’ observational research

The Federal Ministry of Health’s Primary Healthcare Revitalisation Programme includes regular ‘frontline forums’ where health workers can provide unfiltered feedback on digital systems directly to implementation teams.

Operational Data Analysis: Using system-generated data to identify improvement opportunities:

Abandonment rate analysis for digital processes
Error pattern identification
Performance bottleneck detection

The Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) team conducts monthly ‘digital pain point’ analyses based on system usage patterns, identifying processes with high failure or abandonment rates.

Cross-Agency Learning: Structured mechanisms for sharing experiences:

Digital transformation communities of practise
Peer review processes between agencies
Joint problem-solving sessions

NITDA facilitates quarterly ‘digital transformation circles’ where implementation teams from different agencies share challenges and solutions, creating a government-wide learning ecosystem.

Strategies for Sustainability in Nigeria’s Dynamic Environment

Digital transformation initiatives in Nigeria must navigate political transitions, funding fluctuations, and rapidly evolving technology. Sustainability strategies must address these realities.

Political Sustainability

Legal Foundations: Imbedding digital transformation in legislation rather than executive orders:

The National Information Technology Development Agency Act provides statutory backing for digital standards
The Treasury Single Account has legislative underpinnings that have enabled it to survive multiple administrations

A legal advisor to the Federal Executive Council noted: ‘Executive orders can quickly establish digital initiatives, but without subsequent legislation, they remain vulnerable to political changes. The most successful digital programmes in Nigeria eventually secured legislative backing.’

Institutional Anchoring: Creating permanent institutional homes for digital initiatives:

The establishment of dedicated agencies like NITDA and Galaxy Backbone
Digital transformation units within each ministry’s permanent structure
Civil service reforms that create formal digital leadership roles

The Director-General of a key agency explained: ‘Digital transformation cannot remain a special project or initiative; it must become part of the institutional DNA of government.’

Cross-Party Value Demonstration: Building broad political consensus:

Quantifying benefits that appeal across political divides
Engaging state governments from different political parties
Creating citizen constituencies that demand continuation

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council has maintained momentum across political transitions by consistently demonstrating economic benefits that transcend political affiliations.

Financial Sustainability

Innovative Funding Models: Moving beyond annual budget allocations:

Service-based revenue models where appropriate
Public-private partnerships with sustainable economics
Multi-year funding commitments for critical infrastructure

The Nigerian Postal Service’s Digital Address Verification System operates on a fee-per-use model that generates sufficient revenue to cover ongoing operations and enhancements.

Cost Optimisation: Building cost-effective operations from the start:

Shared infrastructure and platforms across agencies
Open-source solutions with lower licencing costs
Cloud strategies that aline costs with actual usage

Galaxy Backbone’s government cloud infrastructure enables agencies to share computing resources, reducing total cost of ownership by an estimated 40% compared to individual agency data centres.

Value Demonstration: Clearly connecting digital investments to fiscal benefits:

Tax revenue increases from improved compliance
Cost avoidance through fraud reduction
Efficiency gains through process automation

The Federal Inland Revenue Service attributes a 27% increase in tax compliance directly to digital filing improvements, creating a compelling business case for continued investment.

Technical Sustainability

Architecture for Evolution: Building systems designed for change:

Modular architectures that allow component replacement
API-first approaches enabling future integration
Flexible data models anticipating evolving requirements

The National Identity Management Commission’s identity ecosystem was specifically designed with service-oriented architecture allowing new applications to be integrated without core system modifications.

Knowledge Management: Preserving institutional memory despite staff turnover:

Comprehensive documentation standards
Knowledge transfer protocols for transitioning roles
Communities of practise that distribute expertise

The IPPIS implementation team established a ‘digital knowledge library’ documenting not just technical specifications but decision rationales and lessons learnt.

Local Capacity Development: Building Nigerian capabilities to maintain and enhance systems:

Partnerships with local universities for specialised training
Mentorship programmes pairing international experts with local staff
Certification pathways for critical technical skills

The Director of IT at a major ministry shared: ‘Initially, we depended heavily on vender support. Now, after investing in our team’s capabilities, we handle 85% of system enhancements internally, significantly reducing costs and improving responsiveness.’

Building Local Capacity for Continuous Improvement

Sustainable digital transformation ultimately depends on Nigeria developing its own capability to drive continuous improvement.

Civil Service Capacity Building

Digital Career Paths: Creating specialised digital career tracks:

The Office of the Head of Civil Service has established digital specialist roles
Competitive compensation structures for technical positions
Continuous professional development requirements

The Federal Civil Service Commission recently introduced a ‘Digital Government Professional’ scheme of service with clear advancement pathways and specialised training requirements.

Leadership Development: Building digital acumen amongst senior officials:

Executive digital literacy programmes for permanent secretaries
Strategic technology management training for directors
International exposure visits to leading digital governments

A former Permanent Secretary reflected: ‘Many senior officials initially saw digital transformation as purely technical rather than strategic. Leadership development programmes have shifted this perception, helping them see technology as a core governance tool.’

Innovation Capabilities: Developing skills for ongoing evolution:

Design thinking training for service teams
Data analysis capabilities for evidence-based improvement
User research methodologies adapted to Nigerian contexts

The Federal Ministry of Communications has established an Innovation Lab that provides training and mentorship to digital teams across government, building capabilities for continuous service enhancement.

Ecosystem Development

Industry Partnerships: Strengthening Nigeria’s digital industry:

Local content requirements in government technology procurement
Incubation programmes for Nigerian technology start-ups
Industry-government collaboration forums

The Director-General of NITDA emphasised: ‘Government digital transformation can be a catalyst for Nigeria’s broader digital economy if we intentionally use it to develop local industry capabilities.’

Academic Alinement: Engaging Nigeria’s educational institutions:

Curriculum modernisation partnerships with universities
Research collaborations on public sector technology challenges
Interneship programmes linking students to government digital projects

The National Information Technology Development Agency has established Centres of Excellence in digital government at five Nigerian universities, creating a pipeline of specialised talent.

Civil Society Engagement: Building external capability for oversight and advocacy:

Digital capacity building for civil society organisations
Open data initiatives enabling independent analysis
Collaborative improvement initiatives with citizen groups

A prominent civil society leader noted: ‘External capability is as important as internal capability. Government needs knowledgeable partners outside the system who can provide constructive critique and innovative ideas.’

Vision for Nigeria’s Digital Future

As Nigeria continues its digital transformation journey, a compelling vision for the future must guide our efforts.

Nigeria as an African Digital Government Leader

Nigeria has the potential to advance from its current middle-tier position to become a leader in digital government across Africa:

Regional Standards Leadership: Developing frameworks that can be adopted regionall:

The Nigeria Data Protection Regulation already influences approaches in other West African nations
Nigeria’s digital identity framework could become a regional reference model

At a recent African Union digital government forum, a senior official noted: ‘Nigeria’s scale means that when it gets digital government right, it creates blueprints that other African nations can adapt and adopt.’

South-South Collaboration: Leading knowledge exchange with peer nations:

Technical assistance programmes for other African countries
Regional centres of excellence in key digital domains
Active participation in African digital co-operation initiatives

The Minister of Communications recently committed: ‘As Nigeria advances its digital government journey, we will intentionally share our lessons—both successes and failures—with our African counterparts.’

Global Voice: Representing African digital government perspectives globally:

Active participation in international digital standards bodies
Advocacy for appropriate technologies for developing contexts
Leadership in global digital inclusion initiatives

Nigeria’s size and influence position it to ensure African perspectives are incorporated into global digital governance frameworks.

Digital Government as a Development Catalyst

Beyond improving government operations, digital transformation can drive broader national development:

Economic Diversification: Digital government as an enabler for economic transformation:

Digital business registrations, permits, and tax systems that reduce barriers to entrepreneurship
Transparent procurement creating opportunities for local businesses
Digital skills programmes preparing youth for the digital economy

The Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group observed: ‘Efficient digital government doesn’t just improve administration—it directly impacts Nigeria’s business environment and competitiveness.’

Inclusive Governance: Digital tools expanding participation:

Participatory budgeting platforms enabling citizen input on priorities
Digital town halls connecting officials to previously excluded communities
Transparent performance dashboards enabling citizen oversight

A community leader in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region shared: ‘Digital platforms are giving voices to communities that were previously unheard in national governance conversations.’

Data-Driven Development: Government data as a public good:

Open data initiatives enabling innovation and accountability
Evidence-based policy development and evaluation
Collaborative data ecosystems spanning government, academia, and civil society

The Director-General of the National Bureau of Statistics envisions: ‘Government data, properly anonymised and made accessible, can become one of Nigeria’s most valuable public assets, driving innovation and development far beyond government itself.’

Conclusion: The Journey Ahead

Digital transformation in Nigeria’s Federal Executive Bodies is fundamentally about building a government that better serves its citizens—more efficient, more transparent, more responsive, and more inclusive. The journey is challenging but essential for Nigeria’s development aspirations.

As we have explored throughout this series, success requires approaches firmly rooted in Nigeria’s unique context. From strategic planning to implementation to sustainability, generic global templates must give way to Nigerian solutions for Nigerian challenges.

The progress already achieved demonstrates what’s possible. From the Treasury Single Account to the Corporate Affairs Commission’s digital registration system to the National Identity Management System, Nigeria has proven capabilities for digital transformation success. These achievements provide both practical lessons and inspiration for the journey ahead.

As a senior advisor to the Presidency reflected: ‘Digital transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about reimagining the relationship between government and citizens in Africa’s largest democracy. The technical challenges are significant, but the real transformation is cultural and institutional.’

For Nigeria to fully realise the benefits of digital transformation, we must continue building capacity, sharing knowledge, measuring outcomes, and adapting approaches based on our experiences. The destination—a digitally enabled government that effectively serves all Nigerians—is well worth the journey.

This concludes our five-part series examining digital transformation in Nigeria’s Federal Executive Bodies. We hope these insights contribute to Nigeria’s ongoing digital transformation journey.

Written by: Austen Jones