The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called for increased investment in inclusive, people-centred data systems to tackle Nigeria’s development challenges and promote sustainable growth.
CITAD made the call on Monday in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr Y.Z. Ya’u, to commemorate the 2025 Development Data Day.
The organisation said the day, also known as World Development Information Day, reinforces the transformative role of data in promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
“The theme for this year, Advancing Global Cooperation for Sustainable Development, is relevant to Nigeria, where deep-rooted challenges such as poverty, unemployment, insecurity, gender inequality, and climate vulnerability persist,” it said.
CITAD noted that weak and fragmented data systems have undermined evidence-based decision-making, hindered resource allocation, and obstructed efforts to reach marginalised and underserved communities.
“Across rural and underserved urban areas, many women, young people, and persons with disabilities remain invisible in official data, preventing government from adequately addressing their needs,” the statement said.
The organisation observed that Nigeria’s data ecosystem is poor, lacking capacity and infrastructure for timely collection, processing, storage, retrieval, and use of data.
It also decried the digital divide in the country, citing a 2022 Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) report which showed that over 27 million Nigerians in 97 underserved communities lacked internet access.
“This effectively excludes them from the digital economy and participation in data ecosystems,” it said.
CITAD, however, highlighted some of its interventions, including its Digital Livelihood Programme, which has trained hundreds of women and girls in northern Nigeria in web design, digital marketing and data literacy.
It also mentioned its partnership with organisations such as the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) on community network projects in Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna and Abuja.
CITAD recommended that government should increase investment in data infrastructure, build human capacity, promote collaboration across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and formalise community networks within ICT policy frameworks.
It further called for prioritisation of digital equity, data literacy, and the institutionalisation of open data principles.
“We reaffirm our commitment to building inclusive data systems, advancing digital rights and supporting citizen-led accountability in Nigeria,” CITAD said.
The organisation stressed the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships to create a more inclusive, innovative, and transparent data ecosystem.