12 August 2025

The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reignited discussions on the urgent need to harmonise public data across government agencies.

Inuwa emphasised that such efforts are vital to accelerating the digitisation of civil identity records and enhancing national planning processes. He highlighted that from birth registration to assigning legal identities, linking this information to broader national planning and budgeting is crucial.

The initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ programme, which prioritises data-driven governance as a core element of its development strategy.

For NITDA, integrating systems across agencies is expected to minimise administrative redundancies, improve the quality of public policies, and promote digital inclusion. The Ministry of Interior also expressed strong support for the initiative, with Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo noting that data harmonisation would enable seamless data exchange between government entities. Citizens will benefit from the streamlined process whereby their National Identification Number (NIN) can be used to access services such as passport applications and Bank Verification Number (BVN) registration, eliminating the need for repeatedly providing the same information.