The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council has called for tighter digital integration across government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to make governance more efficient and improve Nigeria’s ease of doing business ranking.
Speaking at the Retreat for Heads of MDAs and MDA Reform Champions in Abuja on Monday, PEBEC Director-General Princess Zahra Audu said the council is working to connect agencies digitally in order to eliminate duplication, improve efficiency, and provide seamless services to citizens and businesses.
The retreat was themed “From Collaboration to Integration: Digitalising Government Services through Shared Systems and Data.”
According to Audu, MDAs have been grouped into clusters based on how their operations overlap, to ensure that reforms and policies stay aligned with broader government goals.
“We identify the gaps and then we create the solutions to fix those gaps,” she explained.
She added that PEBEC will partner with the National Information Technology Development Agency and Galaxy Backbone to strengthen digital integration.
Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, said Nigeria can no longer afford fragmented systems and outdated processes that hurt productivity and weaken investor confidence.
He noted that the retreat’s theme reflects the need for coordinated service delivery, shared platforms, and real-time collaboration between MDAs.
Hadejia reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is focused on building a transparent, technology-enabled public sector that can drive economic transformation.
Dr. Charles Emukowhate, Commissioner for Finance at the National Pension Commission, said digital reforms have made it easier to register for pensions, obtain compliance certificates, and process retirement benefits.
He revealed that President Tinubu had approved and cleared N758 billion in outstanding pension liabilities under the Renewed Hope Agenda, calling it a historic step.
Mrs. Obianuju Uchenna, Country Director for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, said adopting digital public infrastructure could cut governance costs by up to 60 per cent through better data sharing between agencies.
She advised Nigeria to prioritize connecting critical agencies first, then expand digital interoperability to agriculture, education, and health.
Wale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, stressed that skills development is key to strengthening small businesses and growing the economy.
He said NECA is working with the Industrial Training Fund and Microsoft to train young Nigerians in technical and AI skills to boost productivity.
Olusegun Omosehin, Commissioner for Insurance and CEO of the National Insurance Commission, said the Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025 has made digitalization compulsory for the sector.
He said automation will improve insurance coverage, make services more accessible, and allow more customers to buy policies online.
Mr. Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics, said the NBS is setting up an integrated administrative data system to improve data sharing among MDAs.
He said the system will reduce the cost of producing data and support evidence-based policymaking through AI and machine learning tools.