NITDA urges universities to go digital, says autonomy needs transparency
Omeiza Bilal
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged Nigerian universities to digitise their financial management, warning that institutional autonomy without transparency could erode public confidence.
The agency’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, made the call in a presentation titled “Strengthening Financial Governance and Risk Management in Nigerian Universities” at an engagement organised by the Committee of Vice Chancellors Training Institute (CVCTI) at the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities secretariat in Abuja.
Inuwa, represented by the Director of the Special Duties Directorate, Dr Aristotle Onumo, said effective technology use in university administration goes beyond acquiring digital tools.
“It is not about computers. It’s not about technology. It’s about processes. It’s about people. It’s about culture. It’s about behaviour,” he said.
He argued that increased funding and independence must come with stronger monitoring, transparent reporting and verifiable records. Institutions that cannot provide reliable financial information, he cautioned, risk undermining the autonomy they enjoy.
According to him, digital systems would help universities track revenue and expenditure, curb leakages and fraud, improve financial projections and strengthen internal controls.
Automated platforms would also allow several officials to review and approve transactions simultaneously while maintaining records.
Inuwa outlined five shifts required: from multiple ledgers to a single source of financial information; from cash to cashless campuses; from after-the-fact audits to continuous assurance; from periodic reports to real-time dashboards; and from suspicion-based oversight to intelligence-driven management.
He urged universities to adopt enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, cashless payment platforms and continuous audit tools, building on Nigeria’s existing digital payments infrastructure.
He also warned against adopting technology without considering data protection, cybersecurity, staff capacity and vendor dependency.
“An ERP with untrained staff is like an expensive typewriter,” he said.
He added that NITDA is shifting from being an IT administrator to an ecosystem enabler, and pledged support through frameworks, digital literacy, capacity building and partnerships.
The Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for November 10–12, 2026, in Abuja.
