The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has initiated strategic partnerships with the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Office of the Auditor General, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to tap into significant revenue opportunities from information technology projects clearance across government institutions.

According to a statement released on Monday by NITDA spokesperson, Hajia Hadiza Umar, the agency's Director-General, Kashifu Abdullahi, emphasized this collaborative approach during recent visits to these key government agencies.

Abdullahi highlighted that inter-agency partnerships are essential for realizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda on digital transformation. "We need to explore how we can strengthen our partnerships and collaborations in line with the President's agenda," he stated.

The NITDA boss revealed alarming statistics about IT project failures in Nigeria, noting that "56 percent of IT projects failed to deliver on what was promised." He attributed these failures to inadequate due diligence, pursuit of the latest technology without proper planning, failure to design before building technology solutions, and lack of consideration for business value propositions.

"We are building a digitised government service, and government is one. We need to work together, work harmoniously, the same way an IT system works to deliver these services," Abdullahi emphasized. "For us to achieve this, we need to be more intentional in the way we design and implement. And if we continue to design and implement in silos, they will never work together."

In response, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun, stressed the importance of standardizing IT project bidding documents. He expressed concern that some organizations misuse IT projects to misappropriate public funds that could otherwise be directed toward transformative initiatives for national development.

Adedokun further disclosed that many Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have been implementing IT projects without proper standardization and guidelines. He expressed optimism that "with this new guideline, our decision should pave the way for the development of the IT sector of the country."

This initiative aligns with the federal government's broader digital transformation agenda and efforts to optimize revenue generation while ensuring value for money in public sector IT investments.