politics
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, urged civil servants to develop their skills, leadership capabilities and systems.
Mr Tijani made the call on Friday at the July 2026 edition of the Digitization in Government Community Engagement held in Abuja.
Represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Nadungu Gagare, he said there was a need for skills to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to improve governance and service delivery.
He said digital transformation can only be successful if it is driven by talented people and effective organizations.
He said the program’s theme, “Building skills, leadership and systems in the age of digital and AI,” highlights the growing importance of preparing civil servants to lead innovation in government.
“Across the world, AI and digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way governments design policy, deliver services, make decisions, and engage with their citizens.
“But technology alone will not transform organizations. Sustainable transformation happens when talented people are empowered by visionary leadership and supported by effective systems and governance structures.”
Tijani said Digitalization of Government Community, established in February 2024, has evolved into a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous learning across the Nigerian public service.
“This community now brings together technologists and digital enthusiasts from over 100 agencies to help break down organizational silos and accelerate digital transformation.”
He said the capacity development program was designed to expose participants to global best practices while encouraging them to develop practical solutions suitable for Nigeria’s public sector.
He encouraged participants to embrace continuous learning, actively engage with facilitators, and apply lessons learned from the training to improve service delivery in their respective organizations.
“We are not just users of technology, we are builders of public value.
“Every digital solution we design, every process we improve and every innovation we introduce ultimately impacts the lives of millions of Nigerians,” he said.
Mr. Tijani commended the sustained partnership between the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Korea Development Strategy Institute (KDS) in strengthening digital capacity within the Nigerian public sector.
He said this cooperation will continue to support the country’s digital transformation agenda.
He added that Nigeria’s future will be shaped not just by technology but by leaders with the vision, skills and courage to deploy innovation for the public good.
However, the Minister called for sustained collaboration between stakeholders to build innovative, inclusive, resilient and digitally enabled public services that can meet the demands of the AI era.
He acknowledged the support of development partners such as KOICA and KDS and institutions under the Ministry for advancing digital transformation initiatives. (NAN)
A.I.
July 4, 2026
Tags: Dr. Bosun Tijani Mr. Nadung Gagare
