NITDA Partners NIMC To Build, Implement Robust PKI

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has mapped out strategies to collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to harmonise and implement a National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for the country.

Indications to this development emerged during a collaborative meeting between the two federal agencies on Wednesday, in Abuja, which is aimed to stop the dependence on foreign PKI and adopt it locally across the public and private sector in Nigeria.

Director general of NITDA, Mallam Abdullahi Kashifu this during the meeting that the two agencies “have agreed to work together to set up a technical working group to look at how we can harmonise and implement National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), how we can work together to build Nigerian PKI, how we can work together on data expense platform as well to strengthen our enterprise architecture.”

He noted that this effort was to enhance digital infrastructure in Nigeria, adding that NIMC is key to any digitization process in Nigeria. He also said the Technical Working Group (TWG) has about one month to produce a roadmap to actualize the project.

He pointed out that the two agencies will come up with a regulatory framework for National Public Key Infrastructure as well as standards for data expense platform and enterprise architecture for the Nigerian government.

Director general of NIMC Engr. Bisoye Coker- Odusote, told reporters in an interview that it is important that the two agencies work together to chart a new course forward for a comprehensive development of the Nigerian digital sector.

“This is to ensure that the whole technology ecosystem is captured and we are able to exchange data seamlessly and to also ensure that we are able to go on with the digital signature which we have not succeeded in achieving yet.