FG Plans National Data Exchange System

The federal government has announced plans to establish a national data exchange system to enable ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to share information securely and reduce repeated documentation for citizens and businesses.

The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the fourth edition of the Nigeria GovTech Conference and Awards.

The conference has as its theme: “Advancing Digital Government: Scaling Digital Public Infrastructure for Effective Governance and Service Delivery.”

Kana said the proposed system would build on the government’s digital public infrastructure framework, launched by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in March 2025.

He said the framework was built around three major components: digital identity, digital payments and secure data exchange.

According to him, more than 136 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identification Number system as of 2026, while the country’s instant payment platforms process millions of transactions daily.

He said the government intended to consolidate these gains by creating a system that would allow authorised government agencies to exchange data securely and improve access to public services.

Kana cited Nigeria’s passport and visa services as examples of the country’s growing digital adoption, noting that applicants could access the relevant portal and obtain visas within 24 to 48 hours if they had the required documents.

He said the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would continue to work with relevant agencies to advance digital adoption and service delivery in support of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The permanent secretary called on stakeholders to treat digital public infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, alongside roads, power and telecommunications.

He said the purpose of digital government should be to improve citizens’ lives by removing barriers, strengthening public institutions and ensuring secure and efficient service delivery.

Earlier, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr Dasuki Arabi, said the bureau had introduced three digital tools to improve the monitoring, coordination and documentation of government reform initiatives.

Arabi said the tools included a reform tracker designed to enable the president, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the SGF and other central government agencies to monitor reform performance and initiatives.

He said the bureau had also developed a digital reform repository to provide a central record of reform initiatives across government institutions.

Arabi urged ministries, departments and agencies to upload the history, data and records of their reform programmes to the repository to support institutional accountability and preserve information for future reference.

He said the bureau was also working with the Office of the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion to strengthen collaboration among government institutions, the financial sector and private organisations.

In a goodwill message, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, represented by the Director of Strategy, Yusuf Farid, said public service reforms should translate into measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

Zauro said effective public institutions were fundamental to Nigeria’s pursuit of sustainable economic growth and national development.

He said reforms should go beyond administrative processes to expand economic opportunities, improve access to essential services and ensure government interventions reached those who needed them most.

According to him, meaningful economic inclusion requires effective institutions, coordinated policies, innovative solutions and strong partnerships between government, the private sector and development partners.

He explained that financial inclusion was not limited to access to financial services but also involved enabling individuals, households and businesses to participate productively in the economy, create jobs and contribute to national prosperity.

Zauro commended the Bureau of Public Service Reforms for its efforts to build a more efficient, transparent, accountable and responsive public service.

He said the success of public service reforms should be measured by the tangible difference they make in the lives of citizens.

Also speaking, the Head of the Green and Digital Economy Department at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Yolanda San Jose, said digital government was ultimately about building trust between citizens and public institutions.

She said the European Union was supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation through investments in connectivity, digital skills, public services and cybersecurity.

San Jose disclosed that the EU-Nigeria Digital Economy Package, launched in 2022, was worth more than €820 million.

She said the European Union was also working with Estonia and Finland on the establishment of a data exchange layer in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission.

According to her, secure data exchange, cybersecurity and trusted digital identity systems are essential for delivering public services that citizens can access confidently.

She called for stronger collaboration to ensure that digital government reforms translate into connected agencies, secure data systems and services designed around citizens’ needs.