THE PRESIDENT/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), David Daser, has described the Federal Character Principle as one of the quiet foundations of Nigeria’s national stability, urging the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to embrace technology, data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure greater fairness, transparency and objectivity in recruitment and compliance processes.
Daser also proposed a strategic partnership between the Federal Character Commission and the Digital Bridge Institute to develop technology platforms, strengthen national data capabilities, build workforce capacity, and provide technical advisory support for the Commission’s digital transformation.
He made the call while presenting a paper titled “Technology, Data and Institutional Effectiveness in Public Governance” at the Federal Character Commission’s 2026 Executive and Management Leadership Retreat held in Ekiti State. The retreat was themed “Repositioning the Federal Character Commission for Institutional Renewal, Leadership Cohesion and National Relevance.”
According to Daser, the Commission must reposition itself by leveraging technology and data, noting that “we live in a time when every serious institution is being reshaped by technology and data.” He warned that public institutions that will remain effective and relevant are those that deploy these tools wisely to deliver better services to citizens.
“The Federal Character Principle is one of the quiet foundations of our national stability. It is a promise that, in our diversity, no one is left out. But that promise must be more than words on a page. It must be something the Commission can see, measure, defend and deliver; recruitment by recruitment, agency by agency, year by year,” he said.
While advocating greater deployment of digital tools, Daser cautioned that technology alone cannot guarantee fairness. “Technology and data will not, by themselves, deliver fairness. People and sound judgement will always remain at the centre of this work. But when used wisely and responsibly, these tools can help the Commission see more clearly, act more confidently and demonstrate its fairness more transparently than ever before,” he stated.
He added that strengthening the Commission through technology would ultimately strengthen Nigeria itself.
“If we get this right, we will not only be strengthening an institution; we will be strengthening the Nigerian project itself. That, I believe, is a responsibility worth committing to,” he said.
Daser stressed that the Commission’s mandate does not require alteration but rather more effective implementation through technology-enabled systems.
He recommended the adoption of a comprehensive data governance and privacy policy in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, the introduction of a standardized digital template for recruitment and compliance reporting across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the deployment of a pilot representation dashboard for agencies, and the strengthening of the Commission’s recruitment portal to integrate vacancy advertisements, applications, compliance monitoring and record management on a single digital platform.
Highlighting the role of the Digital Bridge Institute, Daser said the Institute was established to build national digital capacity and possesses the expertise required to support the Commission’s transformation agenda.
“With campuses across the six geopolitical zones, the Digital Bridge Institute trains public servants in data analytics, cybersecurity and emerging technologies. We stand ready to partner with the Commission through staff capacity development, executive briefings and technical advisory services so that this transformation does not have to be undertaken alone,” he said.
Addressing potential implementation challenges, Daser identified the need for skilled personnel, reliable infrastructure, high-quality data, inter-agency coordination and institutional readiness for change. He recommended the establishment of a small but highly competent data unit supported by continuous professional training rather than creating a large bureaucracy.
He further emphasised that technology should complement, and not replace, human judgement.
“Technology must never remove the human being from the decision-making process. Federal Character is ultimately about fairness among people. Digital tools should strengthen our judgement and improve efficiency, but they must never replace the careful, transparent and accountable decisions that only people can make,” Daser concluded.
