Nigeria's government is pushing hard to connect data systems across its agencies. The move aims to make doing business easier for entrepreneurs and investors.
Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu heads the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council. She made the announcement Monday in Abuja during a retreat for government leaders.
The council is moving beyond simply digitising services, she explained. It wants full integration so businesses get seamless support from all agencies.
Audu said PEBEC has already grouped agencies by their shared functions. This ensures reforms and policies work together toward one government vision.
"We are looking at how MDAs can come together, depend more on each other, integrate their systems and create a seamless interface for end users," she noted.
She pointed to the National Single Window at Nigerian ports as proof the strategy works. Centralised data sharing has cut delays and boosted efficiency there significantly.
The retreat identifies problems within government systems, Audu explained. Then it creates practical solutions to fix those problems.
"We identify the gaps and then create solutions to fix those gaps," she said. Getting agency heads to embrace alignment and data sharing was crucial, she added.
Coming next: building digital platforms for agencies to link their operations. Partners will include NITDA, Galaxy Backbone and private sector firms.
Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, spoke at the same event. He warned Nigeria cannot keep using fragmented processes and outdated systems.
Modern governance requires technology, Hadejia told the gathering. Speed, transparency and accountability now depend on digital systems that work together.
"The effectiveness of modern governance will be measured not merely by policy formulation, but by the operational capacity of institutions to exchange data securely, automate workflows efficiently, reduce transaction costs and deliver responsive citizen-centric services," he said.
Progress under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator shows what coordination can achieve. Hadejia noted the benefits of alignment across institutions.
Obianuju Ifeyinwa Uchenna represents the Tony Blair Institute in Nigeria. She stressed that technology is essential for good governance.
Research shows Nigeria could slash costs dramatically through this integration. The country could save up to 60 per cent across agencies by cutting duplicate data collection.
"You should only need to provide your information once," Uchenna said. Once government agencies can access shared data, citizens and businesses stop repeating themselves.
The retreat brought together reform champions from across federal government. Officials discussed how to make the integration plan work practically.
Building the systems will take time and coordination. But officials believe the payoff for Nigeria's business environment will be substantial.
