Abstract

Purpose: This paper critically investigates how digital governance initiatives shape citizens’ trust in public institutions in Nigeria. The study questions whether digital platforms genuinely enhance transparency and accountability or merely reproduce existing governance failures in digital form. It interrogates the extent to which digital transformation can overcome historically entrenched distrust in state institutions.

Design/Methodology: A qualitative design is employed, drawing on  in-depth interviews with Nigerian civil servants, ICT professionals, and citizens across Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. The analysis is further supported by peer-reviewed literature on digital governance, institutional trust, and African public sector reforms. A critical interpretivist approach is used to uncover power asymmetries and structural constraints that shape digital governance outcomes.

Findings: The study finds a persistent trust deficit rooted in corruption scandals, bureaucratic opacity, and weak accountability frameworks, which digital tools alone cannot resolve. While e-government platforms increase procedural efficiency, citizens question data protection safeguards, system reliability, and the sincerity of political actors. Implementation gapssuch as poor infrastructure, digital exclusion, and minimal civic participationdisrupt the trust-building potential of digital reforms.

Originality/Value: The paper exposes a paradox: Nigeria’s push for digital governance is expanding, yet citizen trust remains fragile. It demonstrates that technology cannot compensate for deep governance deficits unless institutional culture, rule-based accountability, and citizen engagement are fundamentally restructured.