NITDA Laments 56% Failure of Govt IT Projects

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has raised alarm over the poor performance of many government IT projects, revealing that 56% of them have failed to meet their goals.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said this during visits to key government offices like the Office of the Accountant General, the Office of the Auditor General, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). These visits were part of efforts to enforce NITDA’s new IT Project Clearance Guidelines.

“56 per cent of IT projects failed to deliver what was promised because people rush for new technology without proper design or planning,” Inuwa said.
“There is also no clear understanding of the value these projects are supposed to bring.”

He explained that many agencies work in isolation, which makes it difficult for their systems to connect and function properly.

“We are building digital government services, and government should work as one. If we continue to work in silos, the systems will never work together,” he added.

To tackle the issue, NITDA has introduced a new guideline that breaks IT project execution into three phases: Solution Design, Implementation, and Quality Assurance. Any contractor handling government IT jobs must now have certified experts for each stage before they can get the job.

Inuwa said this new method would reduce waste, stop duplication, and make sure IT projects truly serve the public.

At the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Director General, Adebowale Adedokun, also showed concern. He said some IT projects are being used to hide corrupt practices.

“We have a big role with NITDA to fight corruption and ensure transparency in how IT projects are awarded in government,” he said.

Adedokun also complained about inflated contract prices and the lack of a standard way to bid for IT jobs. He suggested the introduction of an IT Price Intelligence Template to control pricing and urged agencies to buy service-wide licences for popular platforms like Microsoft and Oracle, instead of wasting money buying them multiple times.

“We must stop this waste. The money can be used for other important things in the country,” he stressed.

He also called for proper training for civil servants handling IT contracts.

“Without training, government officials can be easily outsmarted by vendors,” he warned.

Both NITDA and BPP agreed to form a joint committee to guide implementation of the new rules and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support their partnership.

The Auditor General, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, welcomed the move and said his office would conduct a performance audit once the new guidelines are fully in use. The Accountant General, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, also pledged full support and promised to align the clearance process with the country’s financial systems.

NITDA noted that the updated rules, which replace the 2018 version, have already helped the country avoid waste of over ₦300 billion.

“This is about making government IT projects work better, save money, and serve the people more effectively,” Inuwa said.

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