At the Omniverse Summit hosted at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), underscored the imperative of continuous engagement and inclusivity. In his address, Inuwa stressed the pivotal role of collaborative efforts within the technology ecosystem, emphasizing the significance of cooperation with stakeholders. He unveiled the NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0, outlining its importance in achieving a resilient and prosperous digital transformation for Nigeria.
Inuwa emphasized the need for shared goals, resources, and knowledge to leave a lasting impact on Nigeria’s digital future. His remarks reflect a commitment to foster collaboration and inclusivity as essential elements in advancing Nigeria’s technological landscape.
“Our vision for Nigeria is to digitally empower the nation by thriving on innovation and fostering inclusive economic growth through technology,” Inuwa stated.
During discussions on the Strategic Road-map and Action Plan (2024-2027) SRAP 2.0, Inuwa underscored the necessity of collaboration among stakeholders. The NITDA Director-General outlined eight strategic pillars within the roadmap, aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of critical sectors of the economy, in line with directives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Inuwa highlighted that all pillars in SRAP 2.0 align with the strategic pillars of the Ministry of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy’s blueprint titled “Accelerating our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency.” These pillars include Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Capital, and Trade.
The first pillar, focused on fostering digital literacy and cultivating talent, aims to achieve 70% digital literacy by 2027 through the implementation of the National Digital Literacy Framework. Additionally, it aims to develop technical talents through initiatives like the “3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT)” program, designed to address the global talent deficit and position Nigeria as a technological leader.
Inuwa highlighted the second pillar, which aims to build a robust technology research system, targeting Nigeria’s placement within the 25th percentile in global research rankings across key areas such as AI, IoT, Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, blockchain, and UAVs.
The third pillar emphasizes the necessity to strengthen policy implementation and legal frameworks, with all ecosystem stakeholders contributing to achieving national goals. This underscores the importance of a collaborative approach in advancing Nigeria’s digital landscape.
He stated that: “Promoting inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services forms the fourth pillar which aims at connecting the unconnected by investing in learning centers and innovation hubs across the country.”
“Strengthening Cybersecurity and enhancing digital trust is the fifth pillar. This addresses the importance of instilling confidence in digital platforms for its users,” he said.
The sixth pillar, as identified by Inuwa, concentrates on cultivating an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem. This strategic initiative aims to foster synergy within industries and provide an enabling platform for digital transformation.
“While the seventh pillar is to forge strategic partnerships, and collaborations with external stakeholders as evident with the active partnership NITDA is building with the Omniverse platform, the eight and last pillar of the SRAP is directed to cultivate a vibrant organizational culture and agile workforce within NITDA he added.
“We believe that by working together, we can transform Nigeria into a global digital powerhouse,” Inuwa said.
Following this, Inuwa extended an invitation to stakeholders to download the soft copy of the road-map, offering a QR code for convenient access. He encouraged feedback to refine the document for collective success, underscoring the government’s commitment to creating enabling policies for citizens to thrive.
According to him, “The aim is to position Nigeria among the top 25 in artificial intelligence, IoT, UAV, robotics, Blockchain, and additive manufacturing, propelling the nation into a prominent role in the global digital economy.”
The Omniverse Summit serves as a platform aimed at propelling the digital economy across the continent. It delves into narratives surrounding Africa and Africans, with a key emphasis on reshaping these narratives to redefine the future of our economies, societies, and geopolitics.
Obi Asika, the convener of the Omniverse Summit, together with his team members including Charles Emembolu, Dr. Thwueba, and Isioma Udeozo, passionately articulated during a panel session titled “Why Omniverse?” They explained that the Omniverse functions as a collaborative platform designed to unite people from various sectors. They highlighted one of its core objectives, which is to bring together different segments of the ecosystem, including academia, technology, startups, gaming, music industry, film industry, television industry, arts, and culture, among others.
Their submission underscored the initiative’s aim to create a platform for anyone to gain insight into the happenings in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.
Mr. Will Stevens, the US Consul General, affirmed in his address that Nigeria’s dynamic digital innovation ecosystem has given rise to this vital platform, underlining the nation’s significance as Africa’s largest economy and democracy.
Stevens emphasized a paradigm shift in collaboration, moving from discussions centered on what can be done for Africa to what can be achieved together. He stressed the importance of ensuring African nations have a substantial voice in global policy discussions, particularly regarding shared challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and global pandemics.
He advocated for a permanent African representation in the UN Security Council, highlighting the necessity for African solutions to global problems and emphasizing collaboration on a global scale.
Stevens acknowledged that Nigeria, as a key player in driving innovation, encounters challenges like safeguarding intellectual property and addressing exchange rate risks. He pointed out that the partnership between the US and African tech startups is significant, with approximately 60% of venture capital in Nigeria originating from the United States.
“However, there is an expressed need to protect intellectual property locally and create laws to support startups, ensuring innovators can safeguard their creations within the country. The imperative is to foster collaboration that goes beyond geographical boundaries and promotes a collective effort to tackle shared global challenges,” he concluded.
