The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has disclosed that 56% of IT projects implemented by Federal Public Institutions (FPIs) have failed, largely due to non-compliance with the agency’s IT Project Clearance Guidelines.
This was revealed by NITDA’s Director-General during visits to the offices of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Auditor-General of the Federation, and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). He noted that the failure of these projects stems from a lack of alignment with national standards, leading to fragmented and inefficient IT systems that drain public resources without delivering value.
The BPP’s Director-General acknowledged the issue, stating that IT procurement has often been abused, with projects being used to misappropriate funds. He highlighted the absence of standardisation and called for greater transparency and oversight in the procurement process.
As a corrective measure, BPP has introduced standard bidding documents for IT-related contracts and pledged closer collaboration with NITDA to eliminate inefficiencies and curb corruption.
To enhance cost efficiency, he also advised that NITDA adopt a service-wide approach to procuring software licenses from major vendors like Microsoft and Oracle, while also developing a national price intelligence template to benchmark IT costs across agencies.
Echoing these concerns, the Auditor-General of the Federation announced plans for a performance assessment to evaluate how the IT clearance process has influenced government efficiency. The Accountant-General of the Federation also expressed support for the reforms, promising to integrate NITDA’s IT clearance framework into public financial operations.
NITDA introduced its IT Project Clearance Guidelines in 2018 to ensure federal IT investments are cost-effective and aligned with Nigeria’s digital transformation goals. The recently revised version of the document aims to close gaps, enforce compliance, and strengthen accountability across the public sector. The agency’s recent engagements are part of a broader campaign to encourage adoption of the revised guidelines and improve coordination in government IT spending.
