The Federal Government is rolling out an ambitious overhaul of its information technology governance structure, targeting the elimination of inefficiencies and the recovery of billions of naira in public funds lost to poorly managed federal tech projects.

At the core of the initiative is a revised IT Project Clearance Guidance Document issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency. The new framework mandates a structured three-phase process, which includes solution design, implementation, and quality assurance for all federal IT projects.

As part of the reforms, contractors must now employ certified professionals, a move designed to ensure compliance and quality, the country’s technology regulator said in a statement to The PUNCH on Tuesday.

Aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the reforms build on a 2018 framework credited with saving over N300bn.

NITDA, designated under the 2007 National Information Technology Development Act as the federal clearinghouse for IT projects, said the revised guidelines are designed to promote greater alignment with the economy largely driven by 39.6 million micro, small, and medium enterprises, contributing 48 per cent of GDP.

Speaking during an official engagement, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, emphasised the importance of inter-agency collaboration. “We cannot achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda in isolation,” he said.

“These guidelines are designed with interoperability, shared services, and best practices in mind, hallmarks of a unified digital government.”

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun, highlighted the need to curb misuse of IT projects.

“Standardised bidding documents will prevent resources from being siphoned, channeling funds to transformative initiatives,” he said. Adedokun proposed service-wide procurement of licenses for platforms like Microsoft and Oracle and urged NITDA to develop an IT Price Intelligence template to benchmark costs, addressing the intangible nature of IT components that often enables corruption.

The Office of the Auditor General, led by Shaakaa Chira, praised NITDA’s proactive approach. “Once operational, we’ll conduct performance audits to ensure these guidelines are delivered for Nigeria,” Chira said.

Similarly, Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi expressed support for integrating the guidelines into financial oversight, aligning with NITDA’s vision of a digitally transformed public sector.

NITDA and BPP agreed to form a working committee and sign a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the framework, including capacity building for government IT staff to counter contractor overreach.