In a renewed drive to deepen institutional competence within Nigeria’s digital economy ecosystem, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has organised a one-day capacity-building workshop on Information Technology (IT) Contract Management for legal officers from agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
By Chimezie Godfrey
In a renewed drive to deepen institutional competence within Nigeria’s digital economy ecosystem, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has organised a one-day capacity-building workshop on Information Technology (IT) Contract Management for legal officers from agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
The workshop, held in Abuja, focused on strengthening participants’ understanding of procurement procedures, negotiation techniques, compliance frameworks, and dispute resolution mechanisms in IT contracting.
Representing the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, the Director of Regulations and Compliance, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, underscored the centrality of IT contracts to governance and effective service delivery in the digital age.
“Digital transformation is no longer an ambition but a necessity. The agreements guiding technology adoption and deployment carry long-term consequences for Nigeria’s development,” he stated.
He added that contracts in the technology sector must reflect both legal soundness and strategic foresight.
“The contracts we negotiate, draft, and execute in the IT space must be technologically sound, legally robust, commercially fair, and strategically aligned with our institutional mandates,” he said.
Inuwa, through Edet, also urged participants to approach the workshop as a platform for collaboration and reform rather than a routine exercise.
“Let this event be more than a training. It should be a prompt for collaboration, a forum for critical thinking, and a commencement for institutional reform. Engage actively, ask questions, challenge assumptions, and leave here not just informed, but empowered,” he charged.
Participants drawn from diverse backgrounds in law, technology, finance, and administration were commended for their dedication to improving standards in public contracting. Their active participation, according to the DG, demonstrated a shared commitment to transparency, efficiency, and innovation across government institutions.
The workshop also provided opportunities for peer learning and experience sharing, as participants exchanged insights and practical solutions to challenges in IT contract management. Many described the training as timely, especially given the increasing complexity of technology agreements and the growing demand for clear legal safeguards in Nigeria’s evolving digital landscape.
By hosting the workshop, NITDA reaffirmed its leadership in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. The initiative aligns with the Agency’s mandate on capacity building, empowering legal officers to guide their organisations toward sound and effective technology contracting practices.
Ultimately, the programme is expected to strengthen institutional processes across ministries, departments, and agencies — enhancing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public sector technology engagements, while contributing to Nigeria’s broader sustainable development goals.