The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has emphasized that digital transformation is not only reshaping Nigeria’s economy but also fostering national unity and rebuilding trust between the government and its citizens. He made these remarks during the 2-Day Interactive Session on Government–Citizens Engagement, held at Arewa House in Kaduna, and organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
The high-level forum, themed “Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government Engagement for National Unity,” brought together top government officials, ministers, agency heads, academics, policymakers, and civil society groups to evaluate Nigeria’s progress under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his presentation, Inuwa stressed that Nigeria’s digital economy is the new backbone of national development, enabling transformation across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and financial services. He revealed that through initiatives like the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the Digital Literacy for All campaign, NITDA has trained over 350,000 people in Northern Nigeria alone. The agency is now aiming to ensure that at least 70 percent of Nigerians attain digital literacy by 2027.
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He also spoke on NITDA’s ongoing collaborations with the Ministry of Education and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which are designed to integrate digital skills into both formal and informal educational systems. From students to traders and community leaders, these partnerships are focused on ensuring that no one is left behind in Nigeria’s digital revolution.
Inuwa announced that three new digital centres are being built in every state of the federation, while over 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables are being deployed to strengthen connectivity and make Nigeria a digital hub for Africa. Over the past two years, NITDA has established 13 IT Community Centres, 101 Digital Economy e-Learning Centres, and a National Cybersecurity Research Centre.
He further disclosed that major global tech players like Google and Microsoft have shown strong interest in investing in Nigeria, with landmark international tech events such as GITEX Nigeria and the UN e-Governance ICEGOV Summit scheduled to take place in the country this year. These developments, he said, will attract significant foreign direct investment and open new digital opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
The session ended on a hopeful note, as stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to using technology as a tool to drive national development, unity, and good governance.
