Regulatory Update: NITDA Releases Draft Technical Standards for Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), 2025

Introduction

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), pursuant to its mandate under the NITDA Act 2007 and in furtherance of Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy, has published the Draft Technical Standards for the Deployment of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) (“Draft Standards” or “Draft”). This follows the launch of the Digital Public Infrastructure Framework on March 4, 2025, by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

The Draft Standards are designed to operationalize a whole-of-government approach to digital transformation by providing a structured blueprint for building resilient, inclusive, and interoperable digital public infrastructure across Nigeria. The Draft also lays the technical foundation for the establishment and governance of the Nigerian Digital Public Infrastructure Centre (Ng-DPIC), which will serve as the national implementation office for DPI.

Key Highlights of the Draft Technical Standards

The Draft Standards set out comprehensive technical requirements, governance principles, and implementation protocols aimed at enhancing the quality, security, and reliability of digital services. Notable provisions include:

• Establishment of Ng-DPIC: The Centre will coordinate education, research, capacity-building and implementation efforts to ensure a sustainable and citizen-centric DPI ecosystem in Nigeria.
• Digital Identity, Payments & Data Exchange: The Draft Standards incorporate frameworks for integrating foundational digital identity, payment systems and data-sharing infrastructure, to enable seamless cross-platform interoperability and service delivery.
• Interoperability and Integration: The Draft mandates the use of standardized APIs, common data models, and aligned business processes to ensure technical, semantic and organizational interoperability across public and private systems.
• Data Security and Privacy: The Draft Standards embed robust data protection requirements aligned with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), ISO/IEC 27001 and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, including end-to-end encryption, role-based access controls, and incident response protocols.
• Accessibility and Inclusion: Emphasis is placed on ensuring platforms meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, support multiple languages, enable access for persons with disabilities and remain usable in low-bandwidth or offline conditions.
• Performance and Scalability Benchmarks: The Draft prescribe minimum thresholds for system performance, including API response times of ≤300ms, throughput of up to 10,000 requests per second under peak loads, and 99.99% availability for critical systems.
• Governance and Compliance: Clear roles, responsibilities, audit protocols and regulatory alignment requirements are included to foster accountability and transparency across all participating entities.
• Encouragement of Open Innovation: The Draft Standards promote the use of open-source technologies and Digital Public Goods (DPGs) while maintaining responsible governance practices.

Stakeholder Consultation and Submission of Comments

The Draft Standards are currently open for public review. NITDA has invited all stakeholders, government agencies, service providers, developers, private sector partners, academia and civil society organizations to review the document and submit written feedback.

Deadline for Submission:
Wednesday, May 8, 2025

Submission Email:
regulations@nitda.gov.ng

The Draft Standard is accessible on NITDA’s official website.

Conclusion

The release of these Draft Standards marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital governance journey. By laying a comprehensive foundation for secure, scalable and inclusive digital infrastructure, the standards are poised to transform public service delivery and unlock the full potential of the digital economy.

Stakeholders are strongly encouraged to engage in the consultation process and contribute to the finalization of the standards.

For further enquiries or legal advisory services regarding the Draft Technical Standards and their implications, please contact our Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Practice at info@doa-law.com.