The governors of Jigawa, Adamawa, and Plateau states have been named Digital Governors of the Year for the North-West, North-East, and North-Central regions.
The recognition was given at the Nigeria GovTech Gala and Awards 2025, organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms in Abuja on Friday.
The awards celebrate public and private sector leaders who have successfully integrated technology into their services and contributed to building a national digital ecosystem.
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa said their efforts in promoting e-governance, improving public services, creating jobs through technology, and supporting the digital economy were showing great results.
“Promoting ICT is our top priority. We are committed to restoring Jigawa’s reputation as a leading state in e-governance and using technology for socio-economic growth,” he said.
He added that the state had established the Jigawa State ICT Development Agency, revived old facilities, and increased investments in technology to enhance service delivery.
In the health sector, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital received the award for Best Federal Health Institution in Innovation and Use of Technology.
Its Chief Medical Director, Dr. Yusuf Jibrin, who also won a Trailblazer Award, said he was happy that their use of technology was being recognised.
According to him, the hospital had introduced electronic medical records linked with the e-CMDS platform and set up an e-class system for teaching and research.
Iris Smart Technologies was named Digital Governance Company of the Year. Its Executive Director of Operations, Mina Lawson, said the company would continue to promote ICT and support Nigeria’s move toward a single digital identity system. The company is known for helping launch the country’s first digital passport scheme.
The BPSR Director General, Dasuki Arabi, said the COVID-19 pandemic showed the importance of adopting digital solutions quickly.
He expressed hope that Nigeria’s public service would rank among the top 20 globally in digitalisation and service quality within the next two years.
Arabi noted that while the GovTech initiative started with just six states, it has now expanded to 27, but more work is needed so that 99% of Nigerians outside the FCT can feel the impact of digital governance.
Other award winners included the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) for Open Data Excellence and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Cybersecurity Excellence.
