Tag: NITDA

The Federal Government has begun moves for data classification and hosting of certain categories of data within the country.

This, the government said, would enable the country to attain digital sovereignty and become a leading digital hub in Africa.

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said this as a panelist at the Africa Hyperscalers Digital Infrastructure Outlook 2025.

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The NITDA boss said Nigeria would commit more resources towards attaining the goal.

He said the agency would drive the innovative ecosystem that balances regulation with industry growth by investing in cloud infrastructure, data classification, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications to solidify the nation’s position in the digital global community.

A statement by the agency’s Head of Corporate Communications, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, said NITDA’s director general gave deep insights into the agency’s planned strategies in leveraging innovative solutions and regulations to actualise the eight-point agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which cuts across all sectors of the economy.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) at the weekend said it would deliver the 75 percent digitalisation of government services by 2027.

According to the Director General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the agency is working round the clock to deliver the presidential directive for 75 percent digitalisation of all government services in the country. 

Malam Abdullahi said in line with the implementation of the present administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the area of improving governance for effective service delivery, NITDA would intensify efforts to create a one-stop-shop portal for all government services.

The NITDA boss made the remarks when a delegation from the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria led by its ambassador, Mr Ivan Kholostenko visited him and his team at the Corporate Headquarters of the Agency in Abuja.

Abdullahi said the meeting was necessary to discuss possible areas of collaboration between the Nigeria and Ukraine on ways of enhancing productivity, transparency and trust in government processes.

He said efforts have been made for several years toward establishing a centralised e-government portal such as the OneGove.net, but noted that at the moment, NITDA has been playing a pivotal role in shaping the design, standard guidelines, and implementation strategies towards the programme.

Read Also: NITDA flags TikTok, X over tax fillings in Nigeria

He ,however, added that renewed commitment and extensive research into global best practices have reignited the drive for pursuing the goals.

“We have been doing research on how UK, Kenya and other countries have achieved this, so I believe we can learn from you as well to see how we can build our own.

“While such models are not entirely transferable between nations, we can learn from their experiences to develop a framework that works for Nigeria,” Malam Abdullahi said. 

He said NITDA has identified multiple models from other nations that allows government agencies to provide services through an Application Programming Interface (API) while other countries provide services exclusively through designated portals backed by law.

“If we want to achieve this, we need to have these laws in place and kickstart the process of enacting the laws in other to facilitate a smooth and effective digital transformation,” he said.

Malam Abdullahi disclosed that the agency is engaging with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to ensure alignment with global digital governance standards and the engagement is expected to provide valuable expertise and insights into structuring Nigeria’s digital transformation roadmap.

“This initiative is seen as a critical step towards enhancing efficiency, reducing corruption, and promoting transparency in government operations. 

“By leveraging global best practices in alignment with national policies and digital transformation goals, Nigeria will have a smart, seamless and citizen-friendly government service experience, “he said. 

In his remark, Mr Kholostenko said that Ukraine runs a digital platform known as the Diia application which is an ecosystem that encompasses all of the state registers, databases and can perform all the state and government services for citizens in one place.

He disclosed that it is the intention of his country through its Ministry of Digital Transformation to expand the reach of this initiative and provide full support for other countries to create such kind of system.

“I want to note that we are interested to expand and help other countries to make a digital state, reduce bureaucracy, reduce time for getting state services and of course, to reduce corruption risks, because human-to-human interaction is minimal,” he said.

Authorities of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have stepped up efforts to meet the targets set for the Agency by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

To achieve this, NITDA is eyeing a large chunk of 85 million global jobs for young Nigerians. 

The jobs are expected to come through the digital ecosystem within the next two years. 

According to sources within NITDA, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda was anchored on delivering jobs opportunities for Nigerians and creating wealth to reduce hardships across the country.

The president, it was learnt, instructed that Nigeria should take advantage of its vibrant youth population to leverage digital technologies for wealth and job creation for the country. 

The agency which was created in 2001 had the responsibility among others to regulate/license  computer, its usages on Internet and monitor access and applications in the country. 

According to its Director General Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi in 2001 when NITDA was created there were about 500,000 Nigerians who had access to computers, but today over 132 million Nigerians have access to computers, the Internet, and digital platforms to undertake their daily businesses.

Abdullahi, who spoke with our correspondent, said following rapid developments and innovations in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, the nation’s policy thrust on the digital economy was recalibrated to meet the needs of the country. 

He further said given the instructions of Mr President that NITDA should scale up its activities, the agency entered into collaboration and partnerships with major stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, the National University Commission, NUC, among others to ensure that digital literacy becomes a common feature in schools curriculum and adoption in public and private sectors. 

Abdullahi said: “To achieve Mr President mandate we seek partnership and collaboration with major stakeholders to ensure that university curricula are recalibrated to include digital literacy, digital innovation, development of soft skills, and entrepreneurship amongst others.

“We have concluded arrangements for 15 million Nigerian pupils and students to be trained in digital literacy and skills in our primary and secondary schools. 

“This will undoubtedly allow young Nigerians to benefit from global job opportunities in the nearest future. It will also empower them and give them necessary exposure to improve their skills on digital platforms. 

“Recently a pilot study was carried out at Nasarawa State University on how this can be implemented and included in the University curriculum. The Programme was being implemented by CISCO in collaboration with NITDA.”

Read Also: NITDA flags TikTok, X over tax fillings in Nigeria

Malam Abdullahi said NITDA is currently on massive training of young Nigerians in digital skills and applications to prepare them for global transformation and disruptions that would take place within the ICT sector in the next 10 years. 

The NITDA boss stated that the on-going collaborations would deepen financial inclusion, and online business transactions and ensure more Nigerians come on board particularly in the underserved communities in Nigeria. 

“The 8 Strategy pillars developed for Nigeria’s transformation in Digital Economy and Literacy would bring about job and wealth creation, reducing poverty and ensure that Nigeria benefits from the 85 million jobs that would be available in the digital skills sector all over the world,” Malam Abdullahi said. 

The NITDA boss said the on-going campaigns and collaborations on digital literacy are expected to revolutionise Nigeria landscape to improve its Gross Domestic Product, (GDP), empower the citizens, and transform agriculture systems for the better. 

Also the Director of Corporate Communications in NITDA, Hajiya Hadiza Umar listed some of the achievements so far to the training of 3143 artisans in Cross Rivers state Nigeria and the Hackathon organised for start-ups in the country. 

She said this year NITDA organised its maiden Digital Innovation Challenge 2024 and gave out a total of N10 million to the 6 states that participated in the competition.

She explained that the competition involved over 1500 representatives from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, saying it another way sustaining the tempo and sensitisation of citizens on digital literacy.  

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has sought the support and collaboration of the Federal Ministry of Education for the integration of digital literacy programmes in school curricula across the country.

According to the authorities of NITDA, the move would foster digital literacy, cultivate talents, and empower Nigerians with the knowledge and skills needed to face the challenges of a technology-driven world.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa disclosed during a meeting with the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, at the Minister’s office in Abuja at the weekend.

Inuwa said the partnership formed a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to equip young Nigerians with the critical skills required to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital economy.

“This initiative seeks to embed digital literacy across all levels of education in Nigeria, starting from the foundational stages in kindergarten through to secondary schools and tertiary institutions, in order to achieve short-term target of 70% and long-term target of 95% digital literacy by the year 2030”, he said.

Inuwa who led the Management of NITDA to the Minister’s office, underscored the urgency of fostering a digitally literate population, with the potential of digital skills to transform lives and economies.

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“The future is digital, and the world is evolving faster than ever. If we are to prepare our youth for tomorrow’s challenges, we must begin with today’s education.

“This collaboration with the Ministry of Education is a bold step toward ensuring that no Nigerian child is left behind in this journey toward global competitiveness and innovation,” the NITDA boss remarked.

According to Inuwa, the initiative would bridge the digital divide and ensure that every child in Nigeria is adequately prepared to participate in a global economy increasingly defined by digital transformation.

In his response, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa praised NITDA’s forward-thinking approach and affirmed the Ministry’s unwavering support for the initiative.

“Education remains the foundation upon which national development is built. We are ready to partner with relevant stakeholders to embed digital literacy into our educational framework, and empower our children with the tools and skills they need to not only adapt to change but to drive it,” he said.

The Minister stated that with NITDA already in partnership with Cisco, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), National Mathematical Centre (NMC), the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), and other stakeholders, there is a shared commitment to creating an inclusive and technology-driven educational ecosystem. 

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) have commenced collaborations to include digital literacy programmes in Nigerian universities’ curricula.

The Management of NITDA and NUC met at the NUC headquarters in Abuja Tuesday evening to work out strategies and modalities for the inclusion of digital literacy programmes in all 275 universities across the country.

The NITDA management was led by its Director General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi while the NUC Management was led by its Executive Secretary, Prof Chris Maiyaki.

According to the NUC Executive Secretary, the collaborations became necessary considering the rapidly changing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) space as well as the dynamics of the digital economy ecosystem.

Maiyaki said for Nigerian university systems and their products to remain relevant and competitive globally, the university curriculum has to be scaled up to meet international standards and best practices, noting that Nigeria’s 149 private universities, 63 Federal Universities, and 63 state-owned universities cannot be left behind.

He said Nigeria with over 200 million population is yet under-subscribed with 275 universities compared to the United States of America with about 5000 universities, Brazil with over 1,000, and Indonesia with over 2,000.

Maiyaki said there is a huge gap in the number of universities needed in Nigeria to accommodate over 1.2 million vibrant students who seek admission into universities every year, stressing that the gaps in the education sector in terms of infrastructures, human capital resources, and funding needed to be addressed for the country to take its rightful position globally.

Read Also: NITDA pledges support for digital innovation ecosystem – DG

Maiyaki said the NUC took dynamic steps to address the gaps by ensuring that some courses such as Mass Communications, Computer Science, and Agriculture were unbundled in the university systems, stressing that this was necessary given the far-reaching latitudes/opportunities offered by the disciplines.

“The NUC is the flagship regulatory body for Nigerian universities and we are determined to ensure strict compliance with the minimum standards for curriculum planning and development. Though 30 percent of the curriculum is developed by the Universities…but we all cannot work in isolation.

“Like Yale University, MIT, and others, Nigerian universities should be recognized as top-notch for cutting-edge technology, Innovations, and inventions especially in areas of cyber security, software engineering, soft skills, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship as soon as possible “,  Maiyaki asserted

The Director General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Abdullahi said in 2001 when NITDA was created there were about 500,000 Nigerians who had access to computers, stressing that today over 132 million Nigerians have access to computers, the Internet, and digital platforms to undertake their daily businesses.

Abdullahi said the increase in usage of computers and digital platforms was made possible by the policy of the Federal Government in 2019, stressing that since the digital economy and innovation became integral parts of government policy, the nation’s policy thrust on the digital economy has been recalibrated.

Abdullahi said: “We are here to seek partnership and collaboration with the NUC to ensure that university curricula are recalibrated to include digital literacy, digital innovation, development of soft skills, and entrepreneurship amongst others.

“We have concluded arrangements for 15 million Nigerian pupils and students to be trained in digital literacy and skills in our primary and secondary schools. A pilot study has been carried out at Nasarawa State University on how this can be implemented and included in the University curriculum. The Programme was being implemented by CISCO in collaboration with NITDA.

“We believe that with your support, this can be replicated and embedded in the curriculum of our universities. This would promote digital inclusion, and financial inclusion and deepen economic inclusion for all Nigerians irrespective of their locations across Nigeria.

“The 8 Strategy pillars developed for Nigeria’s transformation in Digital Economy and Literacy would bring about job and wealth creation, reducing poverty and ensure that Nigeria benefits from the 85 million jobs that would be available in the digital skills sector all over the world,” Malam Abdullahi stated. 

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said the agency is committed to creating an enabling environment for digital innovation through strategic policies, partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives.

The agency said there is a critical need for adaptive, inclusive, and forward-thinking regulations to foster innovation and build sustainable tech ecosystems, so as to position Nigeria and Africa as a global player in the digital economy.

Speaking in Ibadan at a two-day ISF Summit 2024, with the theme: ‘Empowering Innovation, Accelerating Growth’, NITDA Director General, Kashifu Abdullahi, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Stakeholders’ Management and Partnership, Dr. Aristotle Onumo, specifically spoke on the ‘The Role of Regulatory Frameworks in Accelerating Digital Innovation Across Africa.’

He underscored the importance of aligning regulatory frameworks with emerging technologies to unlock opportunities for startups, investors, and tech enthusiasts across the continent

The summit, convened by the Chief Executive Officer of Zeeh Africa, David Adeleke, brought together investors, entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, business operators, and policymakers from different countries in Africa.

The stakeholders shared insights, appraised successes, and initiated collaborations on transformative projects that could drive economic and technological advancement in Nigeria, and other African countries.

Adeleke, identified lack of collaboration as one of the factors against business start-ups in Nigeria and Africa, saying, “If we join together, we could make a lot of progress. Our track record so far is we’ve been able to attract investors all over the world, including Japan, and the United States of America.”

Read Also: NITDA, JICA announce launch of iHatch Cohort 4 for Nigerian startups 

He added that the partnership has brought about US$250,000 grant for business startups and each of the lucky beneficiaries would have access to US$10,000 grant.

In her remarks, the head of Commercial Banking (South), Lotus Bank, Felicia Tamuno, said: “We found out that technology is seriously disrupting the business environment, making processes efficient and customers taste in businesses is also changing. So, as a business owner, without innovative information and ideas, you cannot thrive.

“As a business person, you have to ensure that you keep growing, reviewing models because things are changing every day. In business, you change models, come up with something better.”

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has announced the launch of iHatch Cohort 4, to support Nigerian Startups in all the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 

The iHatch Cohort 4 with the theme “fostering innovation, building Ecosystems and scaling Startups ” was designed to support Nigeria’s growing startup ecosystem across the country. 

According to NITDA’s Head of Corporate Communications, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, the programme which was inaugurated in October 2024 and would run through January 2025, provides 185 startups and 37 innovation hubs across Nigeria with the resources they need to scale and succeed in local and global markets.

iHatch Cohort 4 is a critical part of NITDA’s Digital Economy Policy, designed to foster entrepreneurship, drive economic growth, and create jobs by providing startups with tailored mentorship, training, and investment readiness, she said. 

Hajiya Umar said the initiative reflected the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, focusing on economic diversification and the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

The iHatch programme is uniquely structured to provide comprehensive support to both startups and innovation hubs across the nation, she added.

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She noted in a statement that the program’s dual approach would not only equip startups with the tools to refine their business models and develop scalable products but also strengthen the capacity of innovation hubs to act as sustainable incubators for local entrepreneurs.

“iHatch Cohort 4 will accelerate the growth of the startup ecosystem across Nigeria by equipping innovators with the knowledge, resources, and funding they need to turn their ideas into impactful businesses,” Victoria Fabunmi, the National Coordinator of the Office of Nigerian Digital Innovation, the programme management team also said. 

“Through our partnership with JICA and local innovation hubs, we are building a more inclusive and vibrant digital economy in Nigeria,” she said. 

She noted that Startups operating in high-impact sectors such as fintech, agritech, health tech, logistics, edtech, and civic tech would receive tailored support, with a focus on innovation and scalability, among other support. Hajiya Umar called for applications from registered startups and urged interested outlets to visit NITDA’s website for details of the iHatch Cohort 4.