NITDA Urges Public Institutions to Prioritise Homegrown Digital Solutions

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA),  Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has urged public institutions to prioritise homegrown digital solutions and adopt a “Nigeria First” approach in their procurement processes to better address the country’s unique operational realities.

Inuwa made the call while speaking on “Nigeria First, Procurement Last: How E-commerce is Rewriting Contracts” at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The NITDA Director-General said modernising public procurement goes beyond administrative processes, describing it as a powerful mechanism for building resilient public institutions, enforcing rigorous standards and driving a competitive national digital economy.

He revealed that between July 2023 and July 2026, NITDA reviewed 1,092 information technology project proposals from 326 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), valued at more than ₦4.24 trillion. Of these proposals, 1,056 projects worth ₦3.84 trillion were cleared by the agency.

Inuwa added that NITDA is strengthening its IT Project Clearance Framework and advancing software assurance protocols to ensure that technology projects meet required standards and deliver measurable outcomes.

According to him, the “Nigeria First” agenda presents an opportunity to use public procurement to create substantial market opportunities for indigenous technology companies and professionals, while ensuring that government spending generates tangible national value.

He stressed that the future of digital procurement should not be limited to purchasing more technology, but should focus on ensuring that technology is acquired for the right purpose, with strong standards, local expertise and sustainable value for Nigeria.