Trust is a critical component of any government digital transformation or development strategy. So said Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general, Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency.

Abdullahi was delivering a keynote presentation at the 17 International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGov), held in Pretoria, South Africa, last week.

In his address, he highlighted how digital transformation has dramatically changed how people live, work and socialise; offers immense benefits to the wellbeing and advancement of humanity and society. He also emphasised the importance of ensuring that digital initiatives serve citizens and enhance service delivery.

“These benefits can only be achieved when we work together to bridge all the digital divides between, and within, countries,” said Abdullahi. “Technology makes our lives better, but people make technology better – you can’t talk about technology unless you talk about people.”

This is why it has become key to strengthen trust between governments and citizens. It is the most important step towards changing the narrative for the continent.

“Governments today don’t need command and control; they need to build trust and inspire citizens. If we want people to do what we want, we need to look at the intersection of trust and people,” he said.

The public sector’s focus needs to expand away from prioritising conventional infrastructure, such as roads and railways, and towards the digital infrastructure of the future. It has to be an intentional reaction that aligns with trust, citizen service delivery and respecting human rights. It is the concept of a secure, transparent and trusted Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that’s outlined in the recently released ‘Universal DPI Safeguards Framework: A Guide to Building Safe and Inclusive DPI for Societies’ by the United Nations.

“It must be shared systems for all citizens and it must be secure and interoperable, built on open standards,” said Abdullahi. “We need to avoid proprietary-only solutions controlled by one entity – everyone needs to benefit with equitable access. Connectivity is also a human right and we need to consider both public and private services at a societal scale.”

Inclusivity is central to developing a DPI that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms. The government exists to serve its citizens and digital is key to building trust through a societal contract that is delivered by technology, he said.

“With technology you can create interactive platforms that provide feedback from citizens and builds their confidence in government services,” said Abdullahi. “Digital can be transparent and contribute to both parties having visibility; while security and privacy remain inherent to ensuring there is trust in the systems themselves.

“In Nigeria, we have a budget portal where citizens can track budget implementation – if someone says they’re executing a project in a particular location, citizens can ask people living in the area to verify it.”

This use of technology creates accountability and transparency and can be bolstered by solutions such as blockchain, where everyone can track and trace information, extending trust and embracing inclusivity. Citizens become part of the process and can contribute through accessible technology.

“In Nigeria, the president gets feedback from citizens on his performance. He sets targets for the ministries to achieve, and citizens can feed back if these are met or not,” said Abdullahi. “Technology should support the people, be ecosystem driven, and prioritise citizen needs.”

Governments have to embrace this digital shift and step into the potential of DPI, but in a way that ensures solutions are relevant and fill the gaps. Sometimes, there is a rush to implement a project or develop a solution without adequate research and this can lead to sluggish service delivery or citizen dissatisfaction. It’s key to have visibility when building DPI on the African continent so it actively meets local needs.

“We need to empower people to be digitally literate so they can use the technology, we need to design healthcare around strategic access and capability, we need to prioritise all stakeholders throughout every part of the process,” said Abdullahi. “You can’t have software engineers sitting in a cubicle building DPI. You need regulators, lawyers, experts, and people who understand what the country and citizen want.”

Abdullahi concluded that already initiatives are showing promise. In South Africa and Kenya, for example, solutions such as HANIS and M-Pesa, are the building blocks of a resilient, scalable DPI.

“We need to connect the dots and ignite trust with solutions that meet citizen needs, solve problems and are built with the continent in mind,” he said.