The National Assembly Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s digital governance framework during an oversight and familiarisation visit to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.
The visit, led by members of the committee from both chambers of the legislature, was aimed at assessing the agency’s ongoing programmes, understanding regulatory challenges in the fast-evolving digital ecosystem, and exploring areas where legislative support could enhance effective implementation of national ICT policies.
Speaking during the engagement, the Chairman of the committee said the National Assembly was keen on ensuring that Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda is backed by robust laws that promote innovation, cybersecurity resilience, data protection and inclusive digital growth.
According to him, the legislature recognises the critical role NITDA plays in regulating the ICT sector and driving digital inclusion, particularly as Nigeria intensifies efforts to diversify its economy through technology-driven initiatives.
He noted that emerging issues such as cybercrime, data privacy breaches, artificial intelligence governance and digital skills gaps require closer collaboration between policymakers and regulators.
“Our visit is part of efforts to align legislative oversight with the realities of digital governance. We want to understand NITDA’s operational challenges and see how the National Assembly can strengthen the legal framework to support a secure and innovative digital economy,” he said.
In his response, the Director-General of NITDA commended the committee for its proactive engagement, describing the visit as timely and strategic.
He said the agency had continued to implement key national policies, including the Nigeria Data Protection framework, digital literacy programmes and cybersecurity capacity-building initiatives across public institutions.
The NITDA boss, however, identified funding constraints, rapid technological changes and limited awareness among some stakeholders as major challenges affecting effective regulation and compliance.
He stressed that sustained legislative backing would enhance NITDA’s ability to enforce standards, protect citizens online and position Nigeria as a competitive digital hub in Africa.
Members of the committee were taken through a briefing on NITDA’s core mandates, ongoing projects and future plans, including efforts to strengthen collaboration with other government agencies and the private sector.
The visit ended with a call for continuous engagement between the National Assembly and NITDA to ensure that Nigeria’s digital governance architecture remains responsive to global best practices and national development priorities.
