NITDA, NBC Collaborate To Boost Digital Transformation, Media Regulation

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has restated its commitment to collaborate with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to enhance digital transformation and regulatory frameworks across Nigeria’s media and technology sectors.

Indications of this development emerged when the director-general of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, received the NBC’s Mr Charles Ebuebu during a courtesy visit aimed at boosting inter-agency collaboration, a statement issued yesterday by the spokesperson of NITDA, Hadiza Umar, said.

Speaking during the meeting, Inuwa stated that digital transformation and regulation are inseparable in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. He also emphasised that digital transformation is not a one-off project but a continuous journey that requires constant improvement, periodic target-setting and organisational adaptability to emerging realities.

According to the NITDA boss, the agency deliberately embarked on a transformational journey to reposition itself from a traditional civil service structure to a high-velocity, smart public sector organisation. He noted that when the agency began its transformation drive, a significant percentage of its workforce came from the mainstream civil service, bringing with it entrenched bureaucratic mindsets and rigid operational practices. This, he said, necessitated a conscious decision to change the narrative.

“More than 70 or 80% of our staff came from the mainstream public service, and we know the mindset of public servants, so we started changing that narrative by focusing on people, resetting mindsets, building capacity, and fostering a culture that supports innovation and accountability,” he noted.

He explained that NITDA’s approach to digital transformation was anchored in three core pillars: people, processes, and technology. He stressed that no matter how advanced technology may be, it cannot deliver value without the right people and efficient processes in place.

He further disclosed that the agency undertook a comprehensive cultural reorientation programme, supported by cultural audits and initiatives to create psychological safety within the organisation.

“This was critical to enabling staff at all levels to freely contribute ideas, challenge existing processes constructively, and engage in horizontal and vertical collaboration without fear of reprisal,” he stated.

He noted that culture remains the foundation upon which any successful strategy must stand, adding that “no matter how good a strategy is, without the right culture, execution will fail.”

Providing further insight into the transformation journey, he explained that NITDA adopted an integrated framework encompassing people, process, culture, content, and technology. Through this framework, the agency identified and addressed deeply rooted bureaucratic tendencies, including command-and-control structures, risk aversion, and excessive reliance on directives from senior leadership.

According to the DG, “these reforms paved the way for trust-based delegation, inter-departmental collaboration, and process optimisation”.

He further revealed that NITDA documented over 396 internal processes and subsequently streamlined them to eliminate inefficiencies and repetitive executive approvals. He cited examples where routine operational tasks that previously required multiple approvals at the Director General’s level were redesigned to empower departments as gatekeepers, allowing leadership to focus on strategic priorities.

Earlier in this remark, Mr Ebuebu called for deeper collaboration between the NBC and NITDA, describing the partnership as long overdue in the face of rapid media and technology convergence.

He noted that although he had had several insightful interactions with the DG, NITDA, in the past, it was important to institutionalise cooperation between the two agencies to address emerging developments in media, technology, data governance, and Nigeria’s digital future.