Atanda Advocates Structural Approach To Digital Governace, Identifies Foundational Gaps

The managing director of Remita Payment Services Limited, ‘DeRemi Atanda, has called for a more coordinated and deliberate national approach to digital governance, emphasising the need for structural alignment, policy clarity, and institutional coherence.
He made the call at the National GovTech Policy Roundtable 2026 held in Abuja.
Speaking during the Private Sector Panel session themed “Building the Digital Backbone of Government: Innovation, Investment and Global Expertise for Sustainable Governance,” Atanda drew attention to the foundational gaps that continue to shape Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
“There remain far too many silos. The question we must ask is this: who today serves as the custodian of a unified architecture for redefining how technology serves both government and citizens? Where, indeed, is the national architecture?”
As a country, we do not yet appear to have an aggregated or cohesive view of how technology can be deployed to drive the scale of transformation we seek.”
His remarks framed the roundtable’s broader objective of translating political will into a practical blueprint for “Digital First Governance”, as one that must begin with a clearly defined and nationally coordinated architecture.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief Convener of the event, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, underscored the need to anchor digital transformation on citizen outcomes.
“The theme of this round table – digital first governance – is a strategic posture. It demands that we stop treating technology as an afterthought. The measure of digital first governance will not be found in the servers we procure, the applications that we launch or the policies that we gazette. It will be found in the experience of the Nigerian citizen in whether government is responsive, whether government is accessible, whether government is trustworthy and whether government is just,” he noted.
Highlighting the importance of legislative engagement in shaping this direction, Mr Atanda noted that meaningful reform depends on a comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem.
“It is not all doom and gloom. We are aware of many of the challenges, and that is precisely why I am encouraged that this conversation is taking place on the platform of the legislature. Without a comprehensive understanding of the broader landscape, it becomes exceedingly difficult to craft effective and forward-looking legislation.”
Mr. Atanda also underscored the urgency of rethinking procurement as a strategic lever for transformation, particularly within the context of national capacity and self-determination.
“There ought to be a more aggregated approach to technology procurement, one that draws directly from the source. The country possesses both the human capital and the institutional capacity required at its core. If we do not think for ourselves, no one else will. There is a pressing need to rethink a Nigeria-first approach to technology procurement.
The relevant executive orders already exist, as does the Nigerian Content Act. The question now is: when will we fully integrate these into how government reimagines service delivery, engagement, and execution?”
Convened by GovTech Africa in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, and the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, the roundtable brought together stakeholders across sectors to align on actionable pathways for digital governance reform.
As Nigeria advances discussions around the E-Governance Bill and broader digital transformation efforts, the emphasis on national architecture, legislative clarity, and coordinated execution signals a critical shift towards a more structured and sustainable GovTech ecosystem.