The United Nations University on E-Governance, UNU-EGOV, has said it will continue to support the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, ICEGOV, in advancing digital transformation in Africa.
Ms Delfina Soares, Director of UNU-EGOV, made the statement at the closing ceremony of the 18th edition of ICEGOV, organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, in Abuja.
The theme of the conference was “Shaping the Future of Digital Governance Through Cooperation, Innovation and Inclusion.”
Soares said that over the years, ICEGOV had served as a global platform for countries to reflect jointly on digital transformation, policy evolution and governance innovation.
She noted that Nigeria and other participating countries would benefit directly from the strengthened knowledge exchange, peer engagement and international networking that took place during the event.
Soares, who highlighted that Nigeria has been part of ICEGOV activities since 2018, said the country’s continuous participation reflected the increasing priority it placed on modern digital governance.
“One of the impacts is the strengthened community that was here; there was also the volume of information exchanged about the latest developments in frameworks, policies and challenges of digital governance.
“This knowledge certainly benefits Nigeria and countries that participated in the conference. The UNU-EGOV remains committed to organising and supporting this conference for better digital governance,” she said.
Prof. Adegboyega Ojo, Programme Chair for ICEGOV 2025, said Africa must adopt emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, AI, in a manner aligned with the continent’s context and governance realities.
“Africa needs to own its digital transformation because the deal will not be handed over to us. Africa understands its own problems, so it must adapt ideas discussed here, like AI for governance, in ways compatible with its systems,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Lukman Lamid, Special Assistant to the NITDA Director-General on Innovation and Research, said the federal government was ready to incorporate the conference’s outcomes into its digital economy policy frameworks.
Lamid noted that part of the recommendations included strengthening digital public infrastructure, with emphasis on broadband penetration and connectivity.
“The project to roll out 95,000 km of fibre optic cable by 2027 is aimed at ensuring more Nigerians have access to the internet. This will improve the digital economy and diversify the broader economy, and that is a project focused on building digital infrastructure,” he said.
The conference recorded 508 participants, including 369 delegates and 308 paper authors, representing 51 countries.
It had 102 international participants, 151 paper submissions, and seven accepted papers.
