In its continuous effort to propel Nigeria into a future where digital technology and economic growth will uplift the country, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is set to collaborate with the World Bank and World Trade Organisation (WTO) to implement the presidential priority areas of reforming the economy for sustained inclusive growth as well as accelerating diversification through industrialisation and digitisation.

Director-General of the NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed this, at the weekend, when he played host to a delegation from the World Bank and the WTO led by Aleksandar Stojanov, at the agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting centered on fostering deep collaboration between the two organisations to enhance digital trade, cross-border data services and sharing ideas on developing regulatory policies that would accelerate economic growth through technological innovations.

Inuwa, who spoke on the agency’s move to review most of its regulations, outlined the agency’s comprehensive plans and encapsulated the agency’s newly-re-crafted Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2.0 for 2024-2027 as part of efforts toward implementing the presidential renewed hope priority areas in enhancing the country’s digital economy.

He further said that NITDA would soon establish a National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to underpin the nation’s electronic signature framework, adding that the framework’s development has involved extensive research into international best practices and substantial investment in necessary infrastructure.

The NITDA director-general said that efforts were under way to push for the enactment of a comprehensive digital economy bill that would incorporate the electronic signature framework and other critical regulatory instruments.

In his earlier address, Stojanov shared their initial findings from the digital trade regulatory gap analysis conducted by the World Bank on the continent, particularly in Nigeria, and how regulations can play a critical role in enhancing it. He, however, gave the assurance of the World Bank’s eagerness to collaborate and support NITDA in propelling digital trade and cross-border data services.

In a related development, NITDA and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have launched an initiative to boost digital literacy across the count The strategic partnership, which was formalised at the NYSC Secretariat in Abuja, seeks to bridge the digital divide and empower the next generation to thrive in an increasingly digital world, among others.

The DG of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Y.D. Ahmed, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative and NYSC’s readiness to fully engage. On his part, Minister of State for Youth, Ayodele Olawande Wisdom, commended the collaboration, emphasising unity of purpose in achieving shared goals.