The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has cleared federal IT projects valued at over $1.5 trillion and saved the Federal Government more than ₦319 billion through its IT Clearance framework, as the tech agency intensifies efforts to tighten financial discipline in public sector technology spending.
NITDA disclosed the figures during the inauguration of a Multi-Stakeholder Coordinating Group, an initiative driving digital governance reforms under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at the event, Kashifu Abdullahi, NITDA Director-General, said the agency is actively reshaping how government institutions plan, cost, and execute IT projects.
“We cleared over $1.5 trillion worth of federal IT projects in the past year and saved the government more than ₦319 billion through our IT Clearance process,” he said.
“We cleared over $1.5 trillion worth of federal IT projects in the past year and saved the government more than ₦319 billion through our IT Clearance process,” he said.
NITDA enforces cost discipline across $1.5 trillion projects
NITDA, he added, now requires Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to secure clearance before launching IT projects. The agency reviews each proposal’s technical design, cost structure, and compliance with national standards, eliminating duplication, inflated budgets, and weak system architecture before funds are committed.
By enforcing this pre-approval regime, NITDA directly drives the ₦319 billion in savings, preventing waste that would have otherwise accrued across the government’s expansive IT portfolio.
NITDA is confronting a legacy of inefficiency in public sector IT. The agency reports that over 56% of government IT projects have historically failed to deliver expected outcomes due to poor planning, fragmented systems, and weak execution.
Through the IT Clearance framework, NITDA is correcting these structural gaps, ensuring that projects meet defined technical and financial benchmarks before implementation begins.
NITDA said it established the Multi-Stakeholder Coordinating Group to deepen collaboration across government, private sector, and civil society. The agency is using the platform to co-create policies, align investments with national priorities, and ensure that large-scale spending translates into measurable outcomes.
The initiative also reinforces Nigeria’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership, where the country has earned recognition for advancing digital governance.
The tech agency said it is integrating its cost-control mechanisms with broader policy instruments, including the e-Governance and Digital Economy Bill, the Data Protection Act, the Interoperability Framework, and the Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture.
By aligning financial scrutiny with these frameworks, the agency is standardising IT deployments, improving interoperability, and reducing costly redundancies across MDAs.
NITDA links quality assurance to long-term savings
NITDA is also enforcing stricter quality assurance, certified system design, and professional implementation standards to reduce project failure rates and protect public investments.
The agency is embedding inclusivity into its digital strategy, ensuring that underserved communities, persons with disabilities, children, and the elderly benefit from government technology systems.
With over $1.5 trillion in projects vetted and ₦319 billion saved within one year, NITDA is positioning its IT Clearance framework as a core fiscal control instrument in Nigeria’s public sector reform strategy.
The agency is calling for sustained stakeholder collaboration to strengthen cybersecurity, enhance data protection, and institutionalise efficient service delivery in line with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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