Nigeria, Benin Deepen Digital Cooperation on AI, Digital Infrastructure and E-Government
Digitnomics 
DG NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi represented by the Director Stakeholders management and partnerships Dr Aristoto Onumu presenting the SRAP 2.0 document to Erlong Tildy Head of international partnerships at ASIN
By Francisca Anuforo,
Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have moved to strengthen bilateral cooperation on digital transformation, digital public infrastructure and innovation-driven governance, signalling growing regional collaboration aimed at accelerating Africa’s digital economy.
The renewed partnership was highlighted during a visit by officials of Agence des Systèmes d’Information et du Numérique (ASIN), Benin Republic’s Information Systems and Digital Agency, to the headquarters of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.
The engagement focused on expanding institutional cooperation, sharing digital governance experiences and exploring joint strategies to deepen technology-driven public service delivery across West Africa.
Speaking during the meeting, Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, said stronger regional partnerships are essential to building resilient and competitive digital ecosystems across Africa.
According to him, NITDA remains focused on driving Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through policies, standards and strategic frameworks aimed at modernising governance and improving service delivery.
He explained that the agency has developed several foundational frameworks to support digital adoption across government institutions, including the Enterprise Governance Framework, Digital Transformation Framework and Software Quality Assurance Framework.
“Our goal is to move government institutions beyond basic digitalisation to full digital transformation and ultimately build an intelligent, data-driven government powered by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,” he said.
NITDA reports N300bn savings from IT project oversight
Inuwa disclosed that since 2018, NITDA has reviewed more than ₦1.5 trillion worth of government IT projects to ensure technical compliance, efficiency and value for money.
According to him, the intervention has generated over ₦300 billion in savings for the Federal Government by reducing duplication, promoting shared services and improving the success rate of digital projects across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He said the agency is also advancing Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure strategy through the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platform.
The platform, he explained, enables a more integrated and citizen-centred approach to data exchange, replacing fragmented agency-to-agency systems with a federated and centralised framework that allows institutions to share data while maintaining control over their individual systems.
According to Inuwa, the proposed e-Government and Digital Economy Bill is expected to provide the legal framework needed to strengthen interoperability and institutionalise digital collaboration across government.
He further highlighted NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) 2024–2027, which aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and prioritises digital literacy, cybersecurity, innovation, research and development, inclusive access and strategic partnerships.
Benin showcases digital identity and interoperability success
Earlier, Tildy Erlong, Head of International Partnerships at ASIN, said the visit followed recent engagements under the Smart Africa initiative and was designed to deepen institutional ties while learning from Nigeria’s digital transformation experience.
She described ASIN as the operational agency under Benin’s digital ministry, responsible for implementing strategic national digital projects alongside institutions including the national identity agency ANIP and cybersecurity agency CENIN.
Erlong highlighted Benin’s progress in digital public infrastructure, revealing that approximately 98 per cent of the country’s population — about 13.6 million citizens — has been enrolled on its national digital identity platform.
She also disclosed that more than 60 government institutions are connected through Benin’s XROAD interoperability platform, enabling the delivery of over 250 digital public services.
According to her, Benin is increasingly prioritising digital inclusion, open-source technologies and artificial intelligence to improve governance and public service delivery.
She said the country is deploying digital technologies across sectors including healthcare, education and justice, reflecting a broader commitment to building an inclusive and technology-enabled public sector.
The engagement between NITDA and ASIN underscores growing momentum toward cross-border digital cooperation in Africa as governments seek to build interoperable digital systems, strengthen public infrastructure and position technology at the centre of economic development and governance reform.
