UK and Nigeria strengthen digital partnership with focus on secure public services

Segun Ojumu

The United Kingdom and Nigeria are enhancing their strategic digital partnership, focusing on improving Nigeria’s public sector technology management through a week-long knowledge exchange programme.

Senior Nigerian officials are currently in London for a high-level benchmarking tour, co-hosted by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and key British digital governance institutions. The goal is to transfer UK best practices concerning the end-to-end clearance of government IT projects and the procurement of digital products and services.

The Nigerian delegation includes representatives from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

The programme, running from 23 to 28 November 2025, involves collaboration with the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS), Public Digital, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), and the FCDO Cyber Policy Department, among others. It aligns with the UK–Nigeria Strategic Partnership’s focus areas of economic development, governance reform, and technological cooperation.

For Nigeria, the engagement is expected to lead to enhancements in NITDA’s process for clearing IT projects, improve the efficiency of procurement, and strengthen global standards in data governance and cybersecurity for public digital services.

In his opening remarks, NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abduallahi, whose comments were delivered by Dr. Usman Gambo Abdulahi, Director of the IT Project Clearance Unit, highlighted the reform efforts.

“At the heart of Nigeria’s reforms is our determination to improve government service delivery, reduce waste, strengthen cybersecurity, and build trust in public digital systems,” he stated. “Modernising the IT Projects Clearance process therefore is a key enabler to achieving this vision.”

Ros Eales, the FCDO’s Director for International Science and Technology, stressed the importance of secure and sustainable digital transformation. “Nigeria is a key partner of the UK in the tech sector,” she said. “Working with partner countries like Nigeria is to ensure that digital transformation works for all and is safe, secure, and sustainable. This becomes even more important in an era of rapid technological evolution, accelerated by AI.”

Jonny Baxter, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, reiterated the UK’s commitment, noting that the technical collaboration underscores the long-standing commitment to Nigeria’s digital transformation and the creation of “shared economic growth for both nations.”

Alessandra Lustrati, Global Lead of the UK Digital Access programme (DAP) in FCDO London, also presented the Digital Development Strategy 2024-2030, advocating for government digital services to be accessible, open, and citizen-driven within a secure digital environment.