Over 100 Million Nigerians enrolled in NIMC System –Minister

By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

Nigeria has taken a decisive step toward its digital transformation journey as the Ministry of Information, Innovation, and Digital Economy—led by Honourable Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani—in partnership with the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, convened a high-level stakeholder workshop on the Nigerian Data Exchange Platform (NGDX).

Held at Fraser Suites on Monday, 25 August 2025, in Abuja, the one-day event brought together national and international experts, government leaders, and digital economy stakeholders to discuss the future of Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure (DPI).

The Director-General of NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, in his opening remarks, emphasized the need for a unified, secure data ecosystem. While championing digital inclusivity, he noted that:

“Data is a national asset. Our data is trapped in silos across government agencies. Imagine a Nigeria where citizens don’t need to submit the same data over and over. The NGDX platform, if done right, can unify our digital infrastructure and drive true inclusivity.”

He described the platform not just as a tech project but as a national mission to foster interoperability and seamless data exchange between government agencies.

We Are Building Trust Through Seamless Governance – Dr. Bosun Tijani

In his keynote address, Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani pointed out that trust is the cornerstone of effective governance:

“The biggest challenge for governments globally is building trust with citizens. One way to do that is to provide systems that serve people efficiently and transparently.”

Dr. Tijani referenced digital leaders like Finland and Estonia—countries with the highest levels of citizen trust—and emphasized Nigeria’s intention to learn from their models.

The Minister painted a vision of a Nigeria where services such as tax payment, school enrollment, and access to social benefits can happen seamlessly:

“Whether or not you trust your government today, if you can access services seamlessly, your confidence will grow. That’s the goal of this platform.”

He announced that the ministry is ready to support real-time digital initiatives involving both the public and private sectors, designed to meet the unique needs of Nigerians.

Highlighting Nigeria’s existing DPI assets, Dr. Tijani noted:

“Over 100 million Nigerians have enrolled in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) system.”

According to the Minister, a robust interbank payment system now facilitates transactions worth billions of dollars, thanks to the collaborative efforts of NIMC, NITDA, and the Ministry.

He reaffirmed that the National DPI Framework is now in place, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to digitally empower all Nigerians.

Learning from the Best: EU, Finland, Estonia Offer Guidance

Acknowledging Nigeria’s gaps in DPI, the Minister thanked the European Union for its collaboration and support. He emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to learning from global leaders such as Finland and Estonia and adopting solutions that have transformed digital governance in many parts of the world.

The event featured two major panel sessions with thought leaders from Europe and Africa:

Panel Session 1: “Unlocking the Value of a Data Exchange for Nigeria”
Moderated by Mr. Akintayo Ayodele Bamisaye (GBB), with panelists including:

Mr. Andres Aaremaa – ESTDEV
Mr. Anys Boukli – Digital Partners SA
Mr. Oula Jarvinen – Former Head of Digitalization, Nokia
Mr. Mikko Mattinen – DVV, Finland
Ms. Katharina Manz – Digital Technologies, Germany
Mr. Olumbe Akinkugbe – Gofore, AI Transformation Leader

Panel Session 2: “Digital Innovation and Policy Readiness”
Led by Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, former Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, and moderated by Mr. Kashim Sodangi, with panelists including:

Ms. Rania Fakhoury – Expertise France
Dr. Salisu Kaka – Director, E-Government and Digital Economy, NITDA
Ms. Katharina Manz – Digital Technologies, Germany

The workshop also hosted two breakout sessions focused on:

Technical foundations for Nigeria’s X-Road infrastructure.
Regulatory frameworks and safeguards for trusted data sharing.

These sessions produced recommendations for building a secure, people-focused data exchange system by the end of 2025.

EU Commends Nigeria’s Efforts

In a related development, delegates from the European Union commended Nigeria’s commitment to digital transformation during the NGDX Stakeholders Workshop, highlighting the strategic importance of implementing digital public infrastructure such as the X-Road data exchange platform.

Speaking to Standard Times Nigeria, Mr. Andres, a representative from the Estonian Center for International Development, shared insights into the significance of X-Road—an open-source digital public infrastructure currently in use in over 25 countries, including several in Africa.

“My background is in ICT management, and I’ve worked in the Estonian government most of my life,” Andres said. “In my presentation, I focused on the X-Road platform, which enables secure, seamless data exchange between government institutions. It is a proven solution in countries like Estonia, where citizens no longer need to provide the same information to different agencies repeatedly.”

He emphasized that X-Road promotes secure and efficient service delivery by connecting government data sources. “There have been no data breaches to date. The platform ensures that government institutions can pull verified data from existing registries, improving public service delivery while enhancing citizen convenience,” he added.

Also speaking at the event was Mr. Ole, an AI strategy consultant from Finland with Gofore, a company involved in implementing the X-Road system.

“Nigeria has huge potential, and this is a major milestone. Data here is often siloed. X-Road enables government agencies, citizens, and private companies to access the right data, securely and at the right time,” Ole said.

He noted that proper data exchange is crucial for both digital governance and addressing broader issues like national security. “Security is not just about keeping data safe, but also about ensuring the right access. That’s exactly what X-Road is designed for.”

According to Ole, Nigeria is poised to become the largest country to implement X-Road on such a scale, marking a significant step in Africa’s digital future. “It’s an exciting development with immense opportunities,” he said.

The NGDX Stakeholders Workshop marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey, with strong support from international partners and a clear path toward more secure, citizen-focused digital governance.