By Progress Godfrey ABUJA — As Nigeria’s technology and broadcasting industries continue to merge, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have decided to increase cooperation on digital transformation and media regulation.
The agreement was reached during a courtesy visit between Mr. Charles Ebuebu, the Director-General of NBC, and Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director-General of NITDA, with the goal of establishing strategic alliances in regulatory frameworks and digital transformation.
Abdullahi stated during the meeting that NITDA was dedicated to strengthening interagency cooperation, pointing out that in a rapidly evolving digital environment, regulation and digital transformation must go hand in hand.
He clarified that the agency had started an internal transition to change from a conventional civil service organization into a fast-moving, astute public sector entity that could react to changing circumstances.
Advertisements by
He claimed that the change was required because of deeply ingrained bureaucratic mindsets that were carried over from the mainstream civil service, necessitating intentional attempts to change attitudes and operational procedures.
“We started changing that narrative by focusing on people, resetting mindsets, building capacity, and fostering a culture that supports innovation and accountability because more than 70 or 80% of our staff came from the mainstream public service, and we know the mindset of public servants,” he said.
According to Abdullahi, NITDA’s digital transformation strategy is based on three pillars: people, processes, and technology. He emphasized that without effective systems and human capacity, technology cannot provide value on its own.
In order to foster psychological safety and allow employees to freely exchange ideas and work across divisions, he said, the organization implemented a cultural reorientation program that was backed by audits and initiatives.
“This was essential to allowing employees at all levels to freely share ideas, constructively question current procedures, and participate in horizontal and vertical collaboration without fear of retaliation,” he said.
He stated that NITDA trained all employees in artificial intelligence to increase productivity, streamlined over 396 internal processes to reduce inefficiencies and enable automation, and created a digital transformation playbook to assist NBC with capacity building, digital literacy, and regulatory modernization support.
Speaking previously, Ebuebu urged closer links between the two organizations, calling the collaboration “overdue given the rapid convergence of media and technology.”
According to him, formalizing cooperation would enable both organizations to successfully address new challenges in media, technology, data governance, and Nigeria’s digital future.
According to Ebuebu, a strategic alliance between NBC and NITDA will strengthen media regulation, facilitate the production and dissemination of content, foster the expansion of local media, promote knowledge transfer, and protect Nigeria’s cultural and national interests.
