The Federal Government has intensified efforts to strengthen Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), describing it as a critical tool for tackling cybercrime, identity theft, financial fraud and other emerging digital threats.

It also called for closer collaboration among government institutions, financial organisations, telecommunications operators, technology firms and development partners to build a trusted digital ecosystem.

The government said such collaboration is essential to strengthening national security, driving economic growth and improving the delivery of public services.

The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, made the call on Wednesday at the 2026 ITGOV Summit in Abuja, organised by Tranter IT in partnership with ManageEngine.

She said a trusted Digital Public Infrastructure built on a secure digital identity system remains central to efficient governance and a resilient digital economy.

According to her, countries without robust digital infrastructure continue to struggle with service delivery, while financial institutions, businesses and citizens are exposed to higher security and operational risks.

“Without a proper DPI, governments will continue to struggle to deliver services effectively, financial institutions will face heightened risks, businesses will suffer unnecessary costs and marginalised communities may be excluded from the global economy,” she said.

Coker-Odusote noted that the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026 has expanded the Commission’s responsibilities by providing the legal and institutional framework for secure authentication, electronic signatures and digital trust services across the public and private sectors.

She said Nigeria requires a comprehensive, interoperable and inclusive digital identity ecosystem that guarantees seamless access to services while protecting citizens’ privacy and personal data.

According to the NIMC boss, a trusted digital identity system would improve transparency by ensuring government services and social intervention programmes reach the intended beneficiaries promptly.

She added that a verified identity ecosystem remains one of Nigeria’s strongest tools against identity theft, cybercrime, financial fraud and terrorism financing.

“It strengthens law enforcement through more precise investigations while safeguarding citizens’ privacy, supports intelligence gathering and improves national resilience against emerging digital threats,” she said.

Coker-Odusote also observed that countries with mature Digital Public Infrastructure attract greater domestic and foreign investment because businesses are able to operate more securely and efficiently.

She, however, maintained that government alone could not build a resilient digital infrastructure.

“It requires collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications operators, development partners, academia, civil society and the private sector.

“It also requires sustained investment in cybersecurity, digital literacy and institutional capacity,” she said.

Executive Chairman of Tranter IT, Dr Emmanuel Olarewaju, said the summit provided stakeholders with an opportunity to examine practical solutions in identity management, cybersecurity, network administration, customer service and IT governance.

He said digitising government services would drastically reduce processing time, eliminate unnecessary visits to public offices and improve citizens’ access to public services.

“When it comes to implementing solutions, the time to deliver service will be minimised. Citizens do not have to queue at different government offices but can simply go online and achieve the same objective,” Olarewaju said.

He added that the increasing adoption of digital platforms makes stronger cybersecurity systems and effective data management indispensable for protecting citizens’ information and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

According to him, digital transformation would improve the ease of doing business, enhance government revenue generation and support data-driven decision-making.

Also speaking, Associate Director of ManageEngine, Solomon Raj, described Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading technology markets and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030).

Raj said the company would continue to provide solutions that strengthen cybersecurity, improve IT management and promote seamless collaboration across government institutions.

The summit, themed “Building Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Growth, Security and Government Efficiency,” attracted participants from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, policymakers, technology experts, development partners and representatives of the organised private sector.