Nigeria moving towards a digital economy -NITDA DG

Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says Nigeria is moving fast in its quest to develop a digital economy.

He said this at a one-day roundtable organised by Civil Society Groups for Good Governance in Abuja on Wednesday.

The theme of the roundtable was: “Maximising the Potential of Digital Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment and Self Reliance”.

Inuwa, represented by his Special Assistant on Digital Transformation, Dr Aminu Lawal, said that through innovations in technology, people have been able to shop and sell products online much faster, thereby making life easier.

Focusing on “Fast-tracking Digital Revolution in Nigeria through the Mandate of NITDA”, Inuwa said that rapid evolution of digital technology has made it possible for people to access information and in turn, led to efficiency and effectiveness in the work environment.

He added that the agency had introduced various initiatives that were aimed at digital entrepreneurship.

According to him, NITDA has trained over 6000 youths on digital marketing, content creation, branding and many more.

“Other training undertaken include training of People Living with Disabilities, Women in ICT and training artisans on mobile phone repairs which are all aimed at teaching them how to derive economic value from digital technologies.

“In order to carry out its mandates and objectives as stipulated by the NITDA Act 2007, the agency is guided by its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2021–2024.

“This is in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria. The SRAP is anchored on seven pillars with their respective goals and objectives.

“They are Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy and Skills, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, Emerging Technologies and Promotion of Indigenous Content,” he said.

Inuwa added: “Our achievements include: issuance of several IT developmental regulations and guidelines among which are the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), Guidelines for the Management of Personal Data by Public Institutions in Nigeria.

“We also have guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in Information and Communication Technology, Framework and Guidelines for Public Internet Access, Guidelines for Clearance of Information Technology Project by Public Institutions, among others.”

Inuwa further said that NITDA had established IT Hubs and Digital Capacity Building Centres across the country as well as provided the enabling environment that facilitated the establishment of a number of Indigenous IT companies and Original Equipment Manufacturers.

He said that the digital revolution had led to the emergence and evolution of technologies such as computers, mobile phones, the World Wide Web, online social networking, virtual communities, and many more.

Inuwa opined that the changes brought many benefits and affected the way people consumed and use information.

“Digital revolution has led to the digital transformation of processes as well as the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence in virtually all aspects of our lives, which is also accelerating at a high pace.

“One thing is certain, there is no turning back now, digital technologies will continue to grow and we will witness more technology disruptions in the future,” he said.