Data is the new oil, says President Tinubu, as Nigeria launches a cloud academy to train civil servants and boost digital governance across MDAs

Data is the new oil—a statement made by President Bola Tinubu as he launched a sweeping directive aimed at modernising Nigeria’s public service through data-led governance and digital transformation.

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The declaration came during the 2025 International Civil Service Conference in Abuja, marking a turning point in the country’s approach to civil administration.

President Tinubu instructed all ministries, departments, and agencies to collect, protect, and use data in a way that creates public value while enabling international benchmarking.

This follows the launch of the 1Government Cloud Academy, an initiative by Galaxy Backbone aimed at equipping civil servants with the skills required to transition Nigeria to a paperless public sector.

“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets locally and share them globally,” Tinubu declared.

He added that data’s value grows with refinement and responsible use, unlike traditional oil.

The President also mandated full compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Act (2023) and called for secure storage in local and allied data centres.

Galaxy Backbone’s new academy will train selected government personnel in digital tools critical to improving communication and efficiency across MDAs.

This is a core step in building a more transparent and responsive public service system.

According to Wumi Oghoetuoma, Programme Director of the 1Government Cloud initiative, trust and understanding are essential for the success of any digital transformation.

“Many digital solutions have failed not because they were ineffective, but because users didn’t trust or fully understand them,” he said at the conference.

The academy targets both technical and soft skill development. Selected civil servants, called “transformation champions,” will serve as internal advocates within their departments.

Their role is to guide colleagues through new digital processes, encourage adoption, and troubleshoot common issues.

“These champions help bridge the communication gap that often leads to misconceptions about system failures,” Oghoetuoma explained.

“Poor WiFi or unreported issues can wrongly create the impression that technology is broken, when in fact the breakdown lies in communication.”

The academy is also offering specialised certification courses for IT teams to boost responsiveness and encourage better collaboration between departments and Galaxy Backbone.

Rather than a lack of digital literacy, Oghoetuoma said the real challenge lies in mindset, motivation, and support.

“Most civil servants use smartphones and social media with ease. The key is applying that comfort to work systems, and that requires trust and motivation.”

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said that Nigeria’s reforms are already being seen as a model for other nations.

She highlighted initiatives like the Enterprise Content Management system, the Performance Management System, and the ServiceWise GPT tool, which align civil service roles with national goals.

British High Commissioner Richard Montgomery, also present at the event, commended Nigeria’s reform trajectory.

“These are bold and necessary steps for long-term development,” he said. He stressed the importance of efficiency and integrity in the public service for reforms to succeed.

As the country continues to invest in its people and digital infrastructure, the goal is clear: create a government that is transparent, efficient, and responsive.

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President Tinubu’s vision that data is the new oil is being transformed into action—one civil servant, one data point, and one digital tool at a time.