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The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has emphasized the importance of digital transformation in achieving inclusive national development and uniting the country through equitable access to opportunities.
Speaking at the 2-Day Interactive Session on Government-Citizens Engagement, Inuwa noted that the digital economy is a cross-cutting enabler capable of enhancing productivity across all sectors, from agriculture and education to healthcare and financial services.
The NITDA boss outlined the Agency’s strategic focus around three key pillars: human capital development, digital infrastructure, and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
He highlighted the importance of developing digital skills at scale, citing initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the Digital Literacy for All campaign, which have trained over 350,000 individuals in Northern Nigeria since 2023.
Inuwa also announced plans to expand broadband penetration through the deployment of 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables across the country and the establishment of digital centers in each state.
The NITDA DG expressed optimism that these initiatives would empower citizens, bridge divides, and drive unity.
The agency’s efforts have sparked renewed interest from global technology companies, with tech giants such as Google and Microsoft bringing significant investments in Nigeria. Nigeria is set to host two major global technology events, GITEX Nigeria and the United Nations’ ICT for Governance Summit, which are expected to attract global innovators and investors.
In addition, NITDA is collaborating with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train of corps members annually, who in turn serve as digital literacy champions, taking technology skills into rural communities and informal sectors.
Highlighting infrastructure as another critical area, Inuwa announced that the Federal Government had approved the deployment of 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables across the country to expand broadband penetration.
He also stated that three digital centres are currently being built in each state to ensure that underserved and unserved communities can participate meaningfully in the digital economy. Northern Nigeria, with its wide coverage and developmental needs, is expected to benefit immensely from this rollout. So far, 13 IT Community Centres, 101 Digital Economy e-learning Centres and One Cybersecurity Research Centre were established in the last two years.
He also disclosed that the conducive investment climate fostered by President Tinubu’s reforms has sparked renewed interest from global technology companies, with tech giants such as Google and Microsoft bringing significant investments in Nigeria.
Inuwa announced that Nigeria would host two major global technology events in the coming months, GITEX Nigeria in September and the United Nations’ ICT for Governance (ICEGOV) Summit in November—both of which are expected to attract global innovators and investors.
