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By: Muhammd Jalal
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has hailed the successful conclusion of the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2025) as a landmark moment for Nigeria’s digital economy aspirations, citing its direct contribution to research excellence, global collaboration and the nation’s ongoing digital transformation agenda.
Hosted in Abuja under the patronage of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ICEGOV 2025 convened global experts for four days of rigorous debate, innovative research presentations, and high-impact partnerships, a convergence that NITDA says aligns closely with the President’s redefined priority area of accelerating economic diversification through industrialisation and digitisation.
The conference, a United Nations University (UNU-EGOV) initiative founded in 2007, brought together academia, industry leaders, civil society, development institutions and government actors to shape the future of electronic governance.
This year’s edition placed Nigeria at the center of global digital discourse, showcasing the country’s rising intellectual and technological capacity.
A total of 151 scientific papers were submitted by 308 authors from 33 countries, with emerging economies accounting for 68% of participating scholars, a clear sign of the conference’s inclusive reach. Nigeria led global submissions with 102 authors, followed by Brazil, India, Portugal and Greece.
NITDA emphasised that this strong participation reflects the Agency’s decade-long investment in digital talent development, research funding and ecosystem strengthening, which are investments that are already translating into local and international recognition.
The conference also honoured outstanding research through its Best Paper Awards. Notably, Robert Ifeonu of the Central Bank of Nigeria earned the top award in the Research category for his paper “Micro-Transformation Framework for Public Sector Innovation: Catalysing Resilient, Outcome-Driven Digital Governance.” This, NITDA noted, underscores Nigeria’s emerging leadership in developing home-grown digital governance models capable of driving socio-economic impact.
In her closing remarks, Professor Delfina Soares, Director of UNU-EGOV, extended appreciation to NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, for his early endorsement and strategic leadership in bringing ICEGOV to Abuja. She noted that the local partnerships and sponsorships facilitated by NITDA significantly enhanced the conference’s global value and strengthened Africa’s position in digital governance research.
Speaking on the event’s economic and strategic implications, NITDA affirmed that hosting ICEGOV 2025 delivered multiple layers of value, from boosting Nigeria’s reputation as a digital innovation hub to fostering partnerships that will stimulate new investments, research collaborations and capacity-building programmes.
The Agency added that insights and tools shared during the conference will further accelerate the actualisation of its digital transformation agenda, strengthen public sector efficiency and support the Federal Government’s commitment to economic diversification through digitisation and industrialisation. The knowledge exchange from ICEGOV, it said, will catalyse improved service delivery, enhanced regulatory frameworks and the deepening of Nigeria’s knowledge-driven economy.
As delegates departed Abuja carrying new research linkages and strategic commitments, NITDA reaffirmed its readiness to sustain the momentum, ensuring that Nigeria not only participates in global digital governance conversations but also shapes them.
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