Africa Blessed
Africa Blessed With Potential for Digital
Innovation–NITDA Boss
The Director General (DG) of the National Information Technology
Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said Africa, as a
continent, is blessed with great potentials, especially in the
development and domestication of digital innovation.
He stated this at the annual ‘Digital Africa Conference’, with
the theme, “Africa’s Post-Pandemic High Tech World.”
The NITDA boss, who was represented at the event by the
Director, IT Infrastructure Solutions, Dr Usman Gambo Abdullahi,
noted that this year’s theme is indeed very apt, considering the
resultant effect of COVID-19 pandemic, which has triggered an
unprecedented demand for digital technology solutions.
According to him, “that has also brought about what we now know
as the ‘new normal’ with new opportunities and possibilities
unlocked by digitalisation.”
While adding that the importance of a digital-enabled economy
cannot be overemphasized, he said: “The vision of Digital Africa to
ignite passion for Africa’s development through the use of ICT
aligns appropriately with our mandate at National Information
Technology Development Agency (NITDA) which is to develop and
regulate Nigeria’s Information Technology (IT) sector by setting up
the essential regulatory and governance structures that will
stimulate the growth of the IT ecosystem and transit the nation to
a digital economy, and Africa by extension.
“You will all agree with me that Africa is truly blessed with
great potentials and opportunities. Occasions like this therefore
provide us with the opportunity to deliberate and chart a course
towards the development and domestication of digital innovation,
which will leapfrog the continent’s development and position Africa
as a driver of sustainable development.”
Inuwa Abdullahi, while speaking further disclosed that the
Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, under the
leadership of Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), FNCS, FBCS, FIIM,
championed the development of the National Digital Economy Policy
and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS).
He said these outlined strategies are to transform Nigeria into
a leading digital economy providing quality life and digital
economies for all.
Abdullahi averred that part of the activities of NITDA, as one of
the implementing arm of the Ministry, is aimed at fast-tracking the
realisation of the objectives of NDEPS.
His words: “In the face of COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on
business, governance and society, NITDA has been playing its role
to ensure the opportunities presented are maximised for optimum
benefit for Nigerians.
“We have organised Hackathons to discover innovative solutions
and give our start-ups an opportunity to scale their ideas. Our
Virtual Learning Programme of the NITDA Academy for Research and
Training has so far attracted over 25,000 participants with over
22,000 active sessions. Our National Adopted Village for Smart
Agriculture (NAVSA) project aimed at generating five million smart
agriculture jobs across the value-chain is witnessing tremendous
success.”
Abdullahi added that, “Data Protection efforts have created over
2,860 new job roles. We have done so much more in the areas of
developmental regulations, digital literacy, job creation,
deployment of ICT infrastructure, IT projects clearance process,
implementation of Public Key Infrastructure amongst others.”