By Muhammad Jalal
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening digital literacy, accelerating innovation, and expanding technology infrastructure as key drivers of inclusive national development.
Inuwa said this while delivering an address at the 2-Day Interactive Session on Government–Citizens Engagement, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at the iconic Arewa House in Kaduna.
Themed “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government Engagement for National Unity,” the forum convened high-level stakeholders in government, civil society, academia, and policymakers to reflect on the progress of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the area of governance delivery and citizen inclusion.
Speaking at the event, Inuwa emphasised that digital transformation is not only central to achieving the eight priority areas outlined by President Tinubu, but also foundational to uniting the country through equitable access to opportunities.
He described the digital economy as a cross-cutting enabler capable of enhancing productivity across all sectors, from agriculture and education to healthcare and financial services.
According to him, “Digital technology is not a vertical sector, it is pervasive and foundational. It powers everything else and provides a framework for inclusive growth.”
The NITDA boss outlined the Agency’s strategic focus around three key pillars: human capital development, digital infrastructure, and innovation-driven entrepreneurship, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda had brought renewed vision and energy to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), enabling them to act in concert and foster stronger trust between government and the private sector.
On human capital, he noted that Nigeria’s greatest resource is its people, and developing digital skills at scale is crucial to unlocking that potential. Through initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the Digital Literacy for All campaign, NITDA has trained over 350,000 individuals in Northern Nigeria since 2023.
He explained that the goal is to ensure that by 2027, more than 70 percent Nigerians would have attained basic digital literacy.
To achieve this, Inuwa said NITDA is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education to embed digital skills into the formal education system from kindergarten to tertiary level. He added that partnerships with the National Universities Commission (NUC) are ongoing to ensure digital literacy becomes part of the general studies curriculum across Nigerian universities.
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.
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