The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, in a group photograph with participants of the Nigerian Women in Information Technology 10th National Conference and 11th Annual General Meeting held in Abuja.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to empowering Nigerian women in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the digital economy. This was emphatically restated by the Director General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, during the “Innovate Her 25” conference, the 10th National Conference and 11th Annual Meeting of Nigerian Women in Information Technology (NIWIT).
Represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Inuwa highlighted the importance of synergy and collaboration in driving innovation. “True innovation blossoms not in isolation, but through partnerships and collective effort—principles at the core of NITDA’s work,” he noted.
Speaking on Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Inuwa underscored the central role of inclusivity:
“Our strategic roadmap mandates that at least 40% of our programmes directly benefit women and underserved groups. We’ve also designed a Gender Inclusion Strategy that guides interventions across training, infrastructure, and capacity building.”
In a major announcement, Inuwa revealed that NITDA will host a Leadership Summit on AI in September 2025. The summit aims to convene African stakeholders to forge a unified AI vision for the continent, further positioning Nigeria as a thought leader in ethical and inclusive AI development.
He also spoke on NITDA’s growing list of capacity-building programmes across AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity, many of which are executed in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative to train women in all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Encouraging collaboration with NIWIT and other women-focused organisations, Inuwa called for tailored proposals to meet unique community needs.
“We prioritise targeted, measurable training outcomes over one-size-fits-all solutions,” he said, reaffirming NITDA’s results-oriented approach.
A major focus of his speech was NITDA’s ambitious Digital Literacy for All Initiative, which aims to train 30 million Nigerians and ensure 70% digital literacy by 2027. This includes integrating digital skills into school curricula and working with the NYSC to reach underserved communities.
Addressing the need for ethical AI, Inuwa emphasized the importance of developing indigenous datasets and large language models that reflect Nigerian culture and protect citizens’ digital rights.
“We are working closely with stakeholders to ensure our AI systems are built on local realities and grounded in digital ethics,” he said.
NITDA is also fostering mentorship through initiatives such as Women Innovate, and is ready to partner with NIWIT to create structured mentorship frameworks that can be formalized through Memoranda of Understanding.
“NITDA is committed to driving inclusive economic growth through innovation. We believe that partnership is the path forward,” Inuwa concluded, urging women-led organisations to take advantage of NITDA’s open-door policy and collaborate to deepen digital inclusion.
As Nigeria’s digital economy grows, NITDA continues to position women at the heart of the transformation, ensuring no one is left behind in the journey toward a digitally empowered nation.
