Telecom
Digital Transformation: DT-TWGs Critical to Implementation of NDEPS — Prof. Pantami
Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has said that the Digital Transformation Technical Working Group (DT-TWG) is a critical instrument for the implementation of all pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).
L-R: Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy and Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) during the event in Abuja
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Bitrus Bako Nabasu said this today in Abuja while delivering his remarks as the chief host and special guest of honour, at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of “Digitalisation Hangout with DT-TWG Chairmen.”
The hangout is aimed at bringing together Members of the DT-TWG and key industry players.
Prof. Pantami quoted a 2020 Report by Deloitte which indicates that digital transformation can help accelerate progress towards enterprise goals such as financial returns, workforce diversity, and environmental targets by 22%.
He said that, “according to Gartner, global IT spending would reach $3.9 trillion in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to act as a catalyst for digital transformation in almost every major industry,” adding that the World Economic Forum has noted that “digital transformation across the globe can benefit the region of $100 trillion between now and 2025.
He gave instances of how DTTWG is instrumental to the implementation of NDEPS, stating that on developmental Regulation, DT-TWG will be required to ensure all ICT and digital technologies-related policies and regulations are adhered to by their organizations in a manner that enables national development.
“Service and Soft Infrastructure are critical to achieving appropriate Government Digital Services (GDS) deployment and strengthening public confidence in the use of digital technologies and services. DT-TWGs are expected to support the Federal Government in developing citizen-friendly digital mechanisms to support service innovations and digital transformation for a Digital Nigeria.
DT-TWGs are required to give preference to indigenous digital solutions while making IT decisions in their respective organisations in line with Executive Orders 003 and 005 of President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is also in line with the NDEPS pillar on indigenous content development and adoption, to mention a few,” the minister stated.
Prof Pantami pointed out that at the centre of this transformation is human capital development, which without it, according to him, nothing can be achieved.
While giving his opening remarks, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said, “We expect a drastic surge in digital transformation initiatives within the public sector in the coming years to keep up with the pace of digital shift.”
He estimated as reported by Statista, in 2020, that the global digital transformation spending was $1.31 trillion from $1.18 trillion USD in 2019 which he said is projected that, the spending will reach 1.78 trillion by 2022.
He cited another research by the International Data Corporation (IDC) that predicts the direct digital transformation investments will total $6.8 trillion between 2020 and 2023.
He stated further that, the report confirmed that 65% of the world’s GDP is set to be digitalised by 2022, and 70% of all organisations globally will have accelerated use of digital technologies.
This he said, implies transforming existing business processes and models to drive customer engagement, employee productivity, and business resiliency.
“Today, we have achieved another milestone by creating a platform for bringing together the DT-TWG members and the key players in the technology industry.
“We hope this engagement will foster cooperation between the DTTWGs and technology industry players and provide a platform where experiences, achievements, and challenges will be shared”, the DG said.
“We are optimistic that this will also be a platform for constructive stakeholders’ inputs and buy-in and ultimately a medium for rights decisions and devising feasible strategies towards improving digital transformation maturity in the public sector” he added.
Mallam Abdullahi stated that “we have ensured that the composition of DT-TWG of each Federal Public Institutions (FPIs), consists of 10 members cutting across strategic departments with at least two (2) persons from the IT/ICT/e-Government departments and three other persons from core business departments of the FPIs”.
He explained that this composition is to ensure that the core business and the IT people cooperate and develop the capability to manage digital transformation projects successfully.
According to Mallam Abbdullahi, criteria of membership of the DT-TWG’s mandates that the Group shall be chaired by the Director/Head of ICT/IT/e-Government except where there is no such designation. The Chief Executives are at liberty to choose the leader of the group.
NITDA Boss revealed that the Agency has organised training that lasted for a month in which 442 members were certified. The DT-TWG members were taken through the basic required knowledge to carry out their responsibilities efficiently while leading digital transformation in their organisation.
The Managing Director, Nigeria Communication Satellite, Mrs Abimbola Alale while giving her goodwill message said the hangout is apt as it is coming at the time the Head of Service of the Federation has directed that all government processes should be digitalised.
During a goodwill message delivered by the founder and Chief Executive Officer of MainOne Ms Funke Opeke, mentioned that there is no denying the role that digital technology is playing in transforming the way businesses are carried out.
She affirmed her organisations willingness to continue to partner with the Agency to develop a sustainable digital economy.
Other industry heavy weights in attendance includes Executive Vice Chairman NCC, NIPOST, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Nigeria, Nigeria Computer Society, Delloite Nigeria, Sidmach, Backbone Connectivity limited, Ntel, Cyberspace limited and many more.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that Nigeria’s internet usage reached a record 1.24 million terabytes in November 2025.
According to the latest data from the NCC, the figure rose modestly from 1.235 million terabytes in October, reflecting steady growth in digital activity across the country.
Broadband penetration in Nigeria crossed the halfway mark in November 2025, reaching 50.58 per cent, up from 45.61 per cent in January, the telecoms regulator reported.
The figure, however, falls short of the 70 per cent coverage target outlined in the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025, which expires this month.
The country had roughly 109 million broadband subscriptions by November. Growth has been uneven, hindered by infrastructure and regulatory constraints, including frequent fibre-optic vandalism that triggers 30 to 43 network cuts daily, high right-of-way fees, and declining subscriber numbers earlier in the year.
Expansion of mobile networks, particularly 3G and 4G services, alongside limited 5G rollouts in urban centres, affordable smartphones, and competitive data plans, has driven uptake.
Investments in the National Communications Backbone and private-sector initiatives have also improved access, especially in underserved areas.
While Nigeria is gradually improving digital inclusion, achieving the original broadband plan remains challenging due to high infrastructure costs, coverage limitations, and deployment hurdles.
The NCC maintains that continued investment in mobile networks and broadband infrastructure will sustain gradual growth in the sector.
Commenting on the development, some Nigerian analysts attributed the surge to the broader mobile and broadband adoption and the growing appetite for streaming, online learning and other digital services.
According to the analysts, the figures suggest that internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity for both business and leisure, underscoring the slow but steady expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has named the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among the top three Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government with the Best Ranking in Website Performance for 2025.
L-R: Head Special Projects, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Salamatu Andu; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Engr. Abaraham Oshadame; Director General Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Head Customer Support Service, Galaxy Backbone, Rosemary Ehize; Secretary to the ES. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Tahir Aminu at the BPSR award ceremony for top four MDAs in BPSR Website Performance and Ranking 2025 at the BPSR office on Tuesday, 23rd December, 2025.
This is coming barely three weeks after the telecom regulator was recognized as one of the top five best-performing Federal Government agencies for 2025 by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) – a testament to the Commission’s consistency in investment in technology for ensuring efficient service delivery.
In the BPSR 2024/2025 scorecard ranking of agencies’ websites, the NCC came second in the ranking, trailing behind Galaxy Backbone Limited, which came first while the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) clinched the third position, from a pool of 235 MDAs, whose website were evaluated.
BPSR deployed 14 evaluation criteria in include MDA’s website compliance with .gov.ng domain name, appearance and aesthetics (look and feel) of the website, content, relevance to MDAs mandate/government policy and the website’ structure.
Others include website’s responsiveness (device compatibility), security, load time, usability/ease of navigation, availability/uptime, functionality, interactivity, accessibility and capacity building.
The recognition was announced at the official release of Federal Government 2024/2025 Scorecard Ranking for MDAs’ Website held at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium in Abuja on Monday (December 22, 2025) while the award presentation took place at BPSR’s Office on Tuesday (December 23, 2025).
The award, which is an important index metric of the National e-Government Masterplan for determining the Nigeria e-Government Status, was received by the Commission in recognition of its commitment to maintaining a world-class website that enhances service delivery to the citizens.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, appreciated the BPSR for the recognition, describing the award as “another encouragement for the Commission to be a better public service institution leveraging digital platforms such as our web presence to enhance public service delivery to our various stakeholders, thereby implementing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy direction.”
While presenting the award to the NCC, alongside other two agencies, BPSR’s Director-General, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, commended the top three for their proactive decisions in maintaining world-class websites, which are compliant with the Federal Government’s policy direction in effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens.
According to the DG, the 2024/2025 MDA’s websites’ ranking represents a collective effort of federal public institutions in Nigeria to be transparent, accountable and open in governance, as well as a confirmation to align with global best practices in service delivery to the citizens.
Developed about six years ago, Arabi said as a result of the annual ranking, more public institutions have indicated readiness to embrace reforms, and align with the policy direction of the current administration’s Renewed Hope agenda on improve governance for effective service delivery, as introduced by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The ideals of harnessing and deploying technological tools for service delivery has become imperative following the COVID pandemic, and distortions of socio-economic system of nations, culminating in the evolution of competitiveness, cost effectiveness, and agile governance.
“As engine room of governance, it behoves on us in the public service to perform our statutory duties and we must put in place technological innovations and standardized websites to operate services as well as deliver service needs to citizens,” he said.
The Scorecard exercise, he said, is part of the BPSR reform broader function of conducting research on reform implementation efforts and presenting ‘best practice’ models to the entire Public Service, and to among others, improve access to government information, facilitate seamless financial transaction, eliminate corruption and cyber theft, as well as facilitate access to government services.
Speaking on the rigorous nature of the exercise that produced the top three winners, the DG said “in the past few weeks members of the Scorecard Jury drawn from inter-Ministerial Agencies, had worked tirelessly to mill websites of selected MDAs through a rigorous process of enduring criteria for the ranking and the outcome had also passed through a quality assurance mechanism to validate the outcome.”
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has dismissed reports that bank accounts not linked to a Tax Identification Number (TIN) will be frozen or automatically debited from January 1, 2026.
Taiwo Oyedele
Oyedele described the claims as false and misleading, warning Nigerians against panic over misinformation surrounding recent tax and financial reforms.
In a post on his X handle Tuesday morning, he wrote: “Don’t let anyone manipulate you. Your bank account is safe. Misinformation makes you panic and fear a reform that is designed to help you.
“When they tell you that your account will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, ask them for the evidence in the new law. Be wise.”
He stressed that no provision in the new tax laws authorises the freezing of bank accounts, adding that the rumours are part of widespread misrepresentation of the reforms.
The committee chairman reiterated that the reforms are intended to simplify Nigeria’s tax system and ease the burden on ordinary citizens, not to impose punitive measures on bank customers.
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