Nigeria has officially joined the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), becoming the latest member of the United Nations (UN) multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together governments, organisations, and innovators to advance open digital ecosystems in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Digital public goods (DPGs) are open technology solutions that nations can freely adopt to accelerate digital transformation, improve citizens’ lives, and drive economic growth. They include open-source software, open data, open artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and open content collections that adhere to privacy, security, and other global best practices. These tools are designed to “do no harm” and align with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Announcing Nigeria’s membership, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said the country’s participation in the DPGA underscores its commitment to building an open, inclusive, and collaborative digital ecosystem that empowers citizens and promotes sustainable growth.
According to the Ministry, joining the DPGA aligns with Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework, which recognises DPGs as essential tools for promoting diversity, openness, and innovation. Through this partnership, Nigeria plans to integrate digital public goods into its government digital services stack by developing supportive policies and fostering effective public-private partnerships to embed DPGs as a core element of its national digital infrastructure.
“As we strengthen our digital public infrastructure, the adoption of digital public goods ensures that innovation within government is transparent, interoperable, and globally connected,” the Minister stated.
According to the Ministry, joining the DPGA aligns with Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework, which recognises DPGs as essential tools for promoting diversity, openness, and innovation. Through this partnership, Nigeria plans to integrate digital public goods into its government digital services stack by developing supportive policies and fostering effective public-private partnerships to embed DPGs as a core element of its national digital infrastructure.
The Ministry also disclosed plans to develop a national playbook that will contain clear policies, guidelines, and frameworks to standardise and scale the adoption of DPGs across federal and state agencies. Some of the digital solutions identified for implementation include OpenCRVS for civil registration, DHIS2 for health information systems, and KoboToolbox for data collection across government institutions.
To ensure local sustainability, Nigeria aims to build capacity around digital public goods through the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) and DevsInGovernment programmes. These initiatives are designed to strengthen the continuous development and maintenance of DPGs, while also encouraging the creation of homegrown Nigerian solutions that meet the DPG Standard and can be reused across borders.
“Planned DPG nominations include some solutions from eHealth Nigeria, which leverages a digital public good, OpenMRS, to digitise health data in northern Nigeria; BudgIT, a civic tech organisation advancing transparency in public finance; and Citizens’ Gavel, which uses digital platforms to expand access to justice,” the Ministry stated.
Commenting on Nigeria’s membership, Liv Marte Nordhaug, Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Public Goods Alliance Secretariat, said that “by embracing digital public goods in its policy processes and capacity-building efforts, Nigeria is strengthening its own digital public infrastructure and service delivery in vital sectors such as education and health. The country is also demonstrating global leadership in advancing inclusive and sustainable digital transformation.”
Through its partnership with the DPGA, Nigeria is not only participating in a global movement but also contributing homegrown innovations that reflect its growing leadership in shaping Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
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