The convergence of the top government officials led by the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani and the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, declared the country’s readiness to lead in shaping the future of electronic governance at the 18th edition of the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) 2025 held at the Shehu Musa Yara’dua Centre in Abuja, Nigeria. The 18th edition, themed “Shaping the Future of Digital Governance through Cooperation, Innovation, and Inclusion”, chaired by the Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Prof Tschilidzi Marwala and Dr Bosun Tijani. In his presentation, Prof Marwala called for the responsible and inclusive development of artificial intelligence (AI), stressing that the technology must work for all people, including Africans, if it is to achieve its full potential as a tool for global progress. “Artificial intelligence is shaping many areas of our lives, but it must be designed so that it does not leave anyone behind. AI will remain suboptimal until it works equally for all people, including the people of Nigeria and, by extension, the African continent,” he said. He also emphasised the need to democratize AI by giving people not only access to the technology but also collective power in deciding how it should be used. “Democratisation of AI means not only that people can freely use AI but also that they can collectively decide how it is to be used. Collective decision-making is necessary to address the negative externalities of AI, from job losses to the degradation of our digital commons,” he noted In line with the presidential priority areas of Reforming the Economy for Sustained Inclusive Growth, Enhancing Infrastructure as an Enabler of Growth, Improving Governance for Effective Service Delivery and Accelerating Economic Diversification through Digitalisation, Industrialisation, Creative Arts, Manufacturing and Innovation, Nigeria has once again reaffirmed its commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation through research, innovation, and collaborative governance. Prof. Marwala underscored the “balancing act” required in managing AI, which is between transparency and security, opportunity and risk, innovation and accountability. He pointed out that while transparency is critical to ensuring fairness, excessive openness can compromise data security, creating new vulnerabilities. Dr Tijani, in his keynote address, emphasised the need for balance between innovation, research, and regulation, stressing that digital technologies must serve the public good and strengthen social inclusion. “Nigeria stands at the intersection of innovation, youth, and digital transformation. The state of a society reflects the ideas that dominate it. When good ideas strike, nations prosper; when bad ideas prevail, nations decay,” he said. Introducing the “Source Balance Ratio”, a conceptual model explaining how ideas from various stakeholders, government, civil society, academia, private sector, and development partners shape public policy. According to him, nations must ensure that policymaking is guided by research and ethics, not short-term politics or commercial interests. While noting that platforms like the ICEGOV help strike a balance to ensure innovation serves humanity, the Minister warned that, “If our ideas are driven solely by profit or short-term politics, we end up with regulations that react to innovation rather than guide it.” Dr Tijani also highlighted the correlation between research and economic growth, urging developing countries to strengthen ties between academia and government for evidence-based policymaking. He commended ICEGOV as a global platform that supports collaboration, knowledge exchange, and ethical digital governance, noting that these principles align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. “Digital technologies are no longer just economic tools; they reshape our societies and our citizenship. Our responsibility is to ensure that innovation is guided by ethics, inclusivity, and the public interest,” the Minister concluded. Echoing the Minister’s vision, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, described ICEGOV 2025 as a remarkable milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward becoming a digital governance powerhouse. He revealed that the decision to host the conference was inspired by Dr Tijani’s directive following Nigeria’s successful participation in ICEGOV 2024 in South Africa. “Honourable Minister said he wants us to host workshops at the ICEGOV 2024 because he believes in research, and that if we really want to build a robust and sustainable economy, especially in the digital era, we need to invest heavily in deep research, especially in deep tech,” he stated. Inuwa explained that the conference theme aligns with the Ministry’s strategic plan of accelerating the Nation’s Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency, which is anchored on five pillars: Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Trade, and ‘Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital’. He outlined Nigeria’s progress under these pillars, including: the National Digital Literacy Framework, aimed at ensuring every Nigerian acquires digital skills from early education to adulthood, a collaboration with the Ministry of Education to integrate digital literacy into school curricula by next year, a partnership with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to train all public servants, with over 24,000 already enrolled, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative to equip Nigerians with high-demand digital skills and nationwide campaigns to extend digital skills training to market traders, transport workers, senior citizens, and faith-based groups. “Digital transformation is not just about technology. it’s about improving how we serve our citizens, and governance must meet citizens where they are, which is online. Our goal is to build trust, efficiency, and better service experiences,” Inuwa.
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