NITDA DATA INTEROPERABILITY STANDARDS, 2016
Act · Technology
Policy date: 2016-01-01
Standards set rules for data exchange and interoperability among government information systems. They target federal agencies and software developers to ensure effective data sharing. This enables seamless and secure integration of government data.
NITDA DATA INTEROPERABILITY STANDARDS, 2016
What Is This Policy?
NITDA's 2016 standards for data exchange and interoperability between government information systems, ensuring that data from different agencies can be shared, integrated, and used effectively.
Who Does It Target?
Federal government ICT departments and data managers Software developers building government systems MDAs sharing data across agencies NITDA as the standards authority
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Enable seamless, secure data exchange between government information systems by establishing common formats, protocols, and standards for interoperability.
Key Features
Data Format Standards: Prescribes standard data formats (XML, JSON, CSV) for government data exchange. API Standards: Defines standards for application programming interfaces (APIs) used in government system integration. Metadata Standards: Establishes metadata standards for describing government datasets. Security Standards: Includes security requirements for data exchange between government systems.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Active Coverage: All federal government information systems Beneficiaries: Government efficiency; citizens through better integrated services Funding: NITDA / Federal Government
How to Access
Government ICT developers must comply with data interoperability standards New government systems must be designed for interoperability from the start NITDA provides technical guidance on standards implementation Application method: Access standards at https://www.nitda.gov.ng
Important Terms
Non-compliant government systems create silos that prevent data sharing Interoperability standards are updated periodically to reflect technology changes Legacy system migration to interoperable standards requires phased planning
Official Resources
Website: https://www.nitda.gov.ng Contact: National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
Legal Framework
The NITDA Data Interoperability Standards 2016 are issued under the National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007, which grants NITDA authority to set ICT standards for government. They operate alongside the Data Protection Act 2023, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020, and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003. International alignment is with the W3C Web Services Interoperability standards, the ISO/IEC 19941 Cloud Computing Interoperability standard, and the UN e-Government Survey frameworks on interoperable government systems.