The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders as a critical driver for unlocking opportunities within Nigeria’s digital economy and accelerating national development.
Inuwa made this known during the NITDA-States IT Stakeholders’ Engagement and Ecosystem Development Programme held in Abuja, themed “Creating Opportunities, Breaking Boundaries: Towards Digitalisation and Entrepreneurial Evolution.”
Represented by the Director of Zonal Office Coordination, Ajayi Babajide, the NITDA DG noted that Nigeria—Africa’s largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—is at a pivotal stage that demands urgent economic diversification. He identified the digital economy as a strategic pathway to achieving sustainable growth, job creation, and inclusive development.
According to him, digitalisation has become a central force in global economic transformation, offering developing nations unprecedented access to knowledge, innovation, and global competitiveness. He emphasised that the technology sector remains one of the fastest-growing and most impactful segments of the global economy, urging Nigeria to strategically position itself to harness its full potential.
Inuwa reaffirmed NITDA’s mandate to drive and coordinate digital innovation nationwide, stressing the agency’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that empowers all sectors, including underserved communities, to actively participate in the economy.
He highlighted the implementation of the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), designed to unlock life-transforming opportunities and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. He also referenced the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF), which aims to equip citizens across sectors with essential digital skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The DG disclosed that NITDA has established over 100 IT centres across the country to support digital learning and skills acquisition. However, he emphasised that sustaining and expanding these initiatives would require deeper collaboration with stakeholders.
He called for stronger partnerships among government at all levels, the private sector, academia, and civil society, noting that innovation thrives best within an ecosystem supported by sound policies, access to funding, and enabling regulations.
Inuwa further stressed the importance of investing in innovation hubs and incubators to nurture startups from ideation to market readiness, enabling them to compete globally.
Highlighting NITDA’s ongoing efforts to support entrepreneurship, he pointed to key initiatives under its special purpose vehicles, including the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. These platforms, he said, provide incubation, acceleration, and training opportunities for startups and young innovators across the country.
While noting that Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem has attracted significant investments and produced globally recognised startups, including unicorns, Inuwa stressed that sustained efforts and stronger collaboration are needed to maintain this momentum.
He reiterated that digitalisation holds immense potential for economic diversification, job creation, and inclusive growth, but warned that these benefits must be deliberately harnessed through robust policies, legal frameworks, and strong institutional support.
According to him, the engagement served as a strategic platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, co-create solutions, and align strategies for the effective implementation of digital initiatives across states in line with SRAP 2.0.
Inuwa reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to fostering partnerships and providing the necessary support to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation, expressing confidence that collective action would yield lasting impact.
He urged participants to remain committed to building a future where innovation thrives, opportunities are accessible, and Nigeria’s digital economy reaches its full potential.
In his keynote address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State, Eric Monday, highlighted the state’s digital strategy, which focuses on deploying technology across critical sectors such as healthcare, works, and environmental management. He noted that efforts are ongoing to improve data management systems and expand service delivery.
He added that outcomes from previous stakeholder engagements have informed actionable policies, underscoring the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable development.
“Our goal is to learn, share experiences, and strengthen our systems to create opportunities for our youth and drive skills development,” he said.
Monday also revealed that a skills acquisition centre, supported by development partners, is nearing completion and will soon provide digital training for young people. He further disclosed that the state is expanding international partnerships, including collaborations with Chinese organisations, to strengthen its innovation ecosystem and unlock new economic opportunities.
Describing Kogi State as a “land of opportunity,” he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to leveraging its strategic position to attract investment and drive growth.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nasarawa State, Damina John, and the Executive Director, Commercial and Industry Development at the North Central Development Commission, Aisha Rufai, who both emphasised the importance of collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s digital and innovation ecosystem.
