Despite Nigeria’s growing investment in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to improve public service delivery, concerns have emerged over the continued absence of an official website for the Niger State House of Assembly, a situation experts say undermines transparency, accountability and democratic participation.
Digital Public Infrastructure encompasses systems such as digital identity, digital payments and secure data exchange that enable citizens to access government services more efficiently. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has described DPI as the modern equivalent of roads and electricity, stressing that it can strengthen trust in government and accelerate economic growth.
However, governance experts argue that legislative institutions should also form part of this digital transformation by providing citizens with easy access to bills, committee reports, voting records and other legislative documents.
Twenty-seven years after Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the Niger State House of Assembly still has no official website, leaving residents without a central platform to monitor legislative activities.
Ali Sabo, Digital Rights Lead at the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), said legislatures must not be excluded from Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
According to him, digital legislative platforms are as essential as digital identity and payment systems because they enable citizens to monitor government activities, engage with lawmakers and participate meaningfully in democratic processes.
The impact of the missing digital platform became evident in 2024 when Minna-based journalist Ibrahim Ndamitso attempted to investigate a bill proposing the establishment of a School of Nursing and Midwifery in Suleja.
Although the proposal was announced on the Assembly’s Facebook page, he said he could not obtain the bill or supporting legislative documents because there was no online repository.
Unable to verify the proposal or track its progress, he abandoned the investigation.
Ndamitso noted that journalists increasingly rely on online records due to rising insecurity and transportation costs, adding that the Assembly’s digital absence limits access to information and weakens public scrutiny.
He also recalled that plans for the Assembly’s website were discussed during the 10th Assembly but said there was no publicly available record indicating whether the proposal progressed or funds were released.
Governance experts maintain that effective Digital Public Infrastructure should include searchable databases containing bills, committee reports, legislative calendars, voting records, public hearing notices and archives to promote openness and citizen engagement.
Another journalist covering governance in Niger State, Yunusa Umar, described the lack of an official website as a major setback for transparency.
He said many residents remain unaware of legislative activities because there is no functional online platform, creating a communication gap between lawmakers and the public while limiting accountability and youth participation.
Umar added that an official website would preserve legislative records, improve public access to information and project a more modern image of the Assembly.
Legal experts also argue that the situation contradicts the spirit of Nigeria’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, which requires public institutions to proactively publish information rather than wait for formal requests.
Abuja-based constitutional lawyer Abdullah Tijani said public institutions can only fully comply with the law by maintaining digital records that are easily accessible to citizens.
He added that proactive online disclosure is essential for transparency and accountability in today’s digital era.
Observers also point to Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and the country’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership (OGP), both of which encourage digitisation, openness and citizen participation across public institutions.
When contacted, spokesperson of the Niger State House of Assembly, Ruqayyah Tanko, confirmed that the Assembly currently has no official website but disclosed that a proposal to establish one is underway.
She, however, did not indicate when the platform would become operational.
Experts insist that legislative websites should be regarded as critical public infrastructure rather than public relations tools, stressing that access to legislative information is essential for strengthening democracy and enabling citizens to hold elected representatives accountable.
