The Federal Government has inaugurated the Presidential Committee on the Implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) charged with the core mandate to ensure a robust, coordinated and legally compliant implementation of DPI that aligns with Nigeria’s development goals.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who was represented by the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, inaugurated the committee on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is to personally chair the committee.
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Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Segun Imohiosen, who made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said Akume emphasised the importance of the digital public infrastructure in promoting Nigeria’s digital economy.
According to the SGF, ”DPI is the key to unlocking new avenues for growth, creating jobs, improving public service delivery and empowering our citizens. To achieve this vision, we must establish a well-coordinated and robust governance structure to drive its implementation”.
He charged the Presidential Committee members to work assiduously to provide necessary strategic direction and coordination of the seamless integration of the three core pillars of the DPI, which are Digital Identity, Financial Payments and Data Exchange, to foster innovation and evidence-based decision making in governance.
The Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote in her address reiterated the role of NIMC in improving the overall quality of life of Nigerian citizens through a digital publication structure.
According to her, ”We acknowledge our full responsibilities to contribute meaningfully to advance economic growth, enhance citizen engagement and improve overall quality of life through DPI. NIMC pledges her full support and cooperation on this noble endeavour, and together we shall work diligently to ensure the implementation of DPI in Nigeria’’.
In his presentation, Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), harped on the critical importance of unifying government databases to facilitate seamless data exchange and enhance the overall life event experience for Nigerian citizens.
The Managing Director, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Mr. Premier Oiwoh also noted the need to build teams to solve local problems on identity management and financial payments. ‘’NIBSS has been working collaboratively with NIMC to verify National Identity Numbers and Bank Verification Numbers to ensure financial Payment and secure transactions by linking their database for more efficient results.
The members of the 10-man committee are: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Chairman; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, member/Secretariat); Head of Civil Service of The Federation;
Attorney General of The Federation and Hon. Minister of Justice; and Hon. Minister of Finance.
Other members are: Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy; Minister of Interior; Minister of Budget and National Planning; Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); and Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
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