Opinion: Digital government will fail without civic trust

Digital transformation has become a familiar promise in Nigerian governance, but citizens are right to ask what exactly is being transformed.

A portal can simplify access, yet it cannot substitute for accountability. A dashboard can display numbers, yet it cannot guarantee that those numbers are reliable.

The next generation of public technology should be built around auditability, plain-language reporting and independent civic oversight.

Trust grows when people can see how decisions are made, challenge errors and receive timely correction.