News Investigators/ The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani has urged public servants to develop their skills, leadership capacity and systems.
Mr Tijani made the call on Friday at the July 2026 edition of the Digitalisation in Government Community Engagement held in Abuja.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Nadungu Gagare, the minister said that the skills were required to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies for improved governance and service delivery.
He said that digital transformation would only succeed when driven by capable people and effective institutions.
According to him, the theme of the programme, “Building the Skills, Leadership, and Systems for the Digital and AI Era,” underscores the growing importance of equipping public servants to lead innovation in government.
“Around the world, AI and digital technologies are fundamentally reshaping the way governments design policies, deliver services, make decisions and engage citizens.
“However, technology alone does not transform institutions. Sustainable transformation happens when capable people are empowered by visionary leadership and supported by effective systems and governance structures.”
Mr Tijani said that the Digitalisation in Government Community, established in February 2024, had evolved into a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous learning across Nigeria’s public service.
“The community now brings together technologists and digital enthusiasts from more than 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, helping to break institutional silos and accelerate digital transformation.”
He said that the capacity-building programme was designed to expose participants to global best practices while encouraging them to develop practical solutions suited to Nigeria’s public sector.
He urged participants to embrace continuous learning, actively engage facilitators and apply lessons from the training to improve service delivery in their respective organisations.
“We are not merely users of technology; we are architects of public value.
“Every digital solution we design, every process we improve and every innovation we introduce ultimately affects the lives of millions of Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Tijjani commended the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS) for their sustained partnership in strengthening digital capacity within the Nigerian public sector.
He said that the collaboration would continue to support the country’s digital transformation agenda.
He added that Nigeria’s future would be shaped not only by technology but also by leaders with the vision, skills and courage to deploy innovation for the public good.
The minister, however, called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to build an innovative, inclusive, resilient and digitally enabled public service capable of meeting the demands of the AI era.
He acknowledged the support of development partners, including the KOICA and KDS, as well as agencies under the ministry for advancing digital transformation initiatives.
NAN