FG Inaugurates Inter-Ministerial Panel to Rank MDAs’ Websites

The Federal Government has inaugurated an inter-ministerial task team to oversee the 2026 ranking of websites belonging to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, with a charge to ensure objectivity, professionalism and transparency.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, BPSR, Dasuki Arabi, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the 2026 Federal Government Scorecard for Ranking the Websites of MDAs.

Arabi said the exercise was part of ongoing public service reforms aimed at strengthening institutional accountability, improving digital governance and enhancing service delivery to Nigerians.

He described government websites as an important first point of contact between citizens and public institutions, noting that Nigerians increasingly rely on them to obtain information, access services and engage with government agencies.

According to him, the 2026 assessment will build on previous editions while introducing measures to improve the credibility, relevance and effectiveness of the ranking process.

Arabi disclosed that the assessment had been automated through a dedicated digital platform developed by GovTech Africa to support public sector transformation.

He, however, stressed that the integrity of the exercise remained more important than the technology being used.

The inter-ministerial task team comprises institutions responsible for public service reforms, digital transformation, digital government, infrastructure, data protection, communications, identity management, business environment, internet governance and open government.

Arabi explained that the institutions were not competitors in the ranking but had been assembled to provide independent oversight and institutional assurance.

He urged members to apply the approved methodology consistently, consider evidence properly and exercise professional judgment without bias.

The BPSR boss also warned the team to handle the exercise carefully, recalling that previous rankings had attracted protests and complaints from governors and ministers.

He called for greater objectivity to ensure that the final results were credible and defensible.

Also speaking, GovTech Africa Director, Fortune Toma, said the organisation’s partnership with the BPSR was designed to improve consistency, efficiency and evidence-based assessment of the digital performance of MDAs.

Toma said GovTech Africa had developed its Atlas digital assessment platform specifically to support the 2026 Federal Government scorecard.

He explained that the platform would improve how data is collected, websites assessed, evidence captured and results reviewed and released.

Toma noted that government websites had become a critical interface between citizens and the state, warning that inaccessible, unreliable or outdated platforms could undermine public confidence.

He said functional digital platforms could improve access to government services, save time and strengthen citizens’ trust in public institutions.

The task team is expected to provide independent oversight and help ensure that the 2026 ranking exercise is conducted transparently and in accordance with the approved methodology.