Nigeria is edging closer to a major digital governance breakthrough as the Federal Government advances efforts to pass the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill into law, Vice President Kashim Shettima has said.

The vice president made this known in a statement on Sunday, following the conclusion of the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition. This year’s event, themed “Innovation for a Sustainable Digital Future: Accelerating Growth, Inclusion, and Global Competitiveness,” brought together top policymakers, industry leaders and global tech innovators.

Shettima described the proposed legislation as a foundational pillar in Nigeria’s quest to build a $1 trillion economy powered by digital innovation, calling the bill a transformative step toward modernising governance and strengthening the country’s economic framework.

“A Strategic Leap for Nigeria”

According to the vice president, the bill goes far beyond administrative reform. He said it represents “a strategic leap toward embedding technology into the fabric of governance, economic planning, and national development.”

Drawing an analogy with Nigeria’s successful cashless policy—which accelerated the rise of the country’s thriving fintech sector—Shettima predicted that the new law would spark a govtech revolution, delivering smarter government systems, improved transparency and more inclusive public services.

Skills, Literacy and Sectoral Digitisation

Shettima highlighted a series of complementary initiatives already underway to support the digital transition. These include:

• The integration of digital literacy into primary and secondary school curricula
• Formal digitisation of Nigeria’s vast informal sector
• The 3 Million Technical Talent Programme (3MTT), designed to produce globally competitive tech professionals

Together, these programmes aim to make Nigeria a leading hub for digital skills and innovation.

Addressing young Nigerians directly, Shettima referred to them as the “lifewire of our nation,” urging them to embrace their roles as innovators, disruptors and key drivers of Nigeria’s digital future.

Boosting Infrastructure for a Digital Nation

The vice president also highlighted active infrastructure projects that will underpin Nigeria’s digital transformation. These include the Broadband Superhighway an ambitious effort to deliver nationwide high-speed internet as well as initiatives under the Bridge and 7-7-4 programmes, structured to ensure equitable digital access across urban and rural communities.

He further commended Nigeria’s rise as a global fintech powerhouse, stressing that the forthcoming bill will strengthen key digital institutions such as:

• The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
• The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
• The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC)

These agencies, he said, are central to maintaining a secure, competitive and innovation-driven digital ecosystem.

Stakeholders Rally Behind Nigeria’s Digital Vision

The conference was attended by leading figures including Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Kashifu Inua Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA; Dr Aminu Wada, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC; Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO of the NDPC; and Professor Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission.

Shettima urged all participants to contribute actively to Nigeria’s digital journey, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to ensuring that technology becomes a catalyst for opportunity, inclusion and nationwide prosperity.

As the country moves closer to enacting the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, stakeholders say Nigeria stands on the threshold of a transformative era—one in which digital innovation will define governance, productivity and global competitiveness.