NITDA Urges Stronger Diaspora Partnerships to Drive Nigeria’s Digital Economy

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called for stronger partnerships between Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and Nigerians in the Diaspora to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.

Abdullahi made the call at the Nigeria Diaspora Investment & Economic Conference (NDIEC) 2026 in Canada, where he highlighted the importance of connecting Nigeria’s growing technology sector with the expertise, capital and global networks of Nigerians abroad.

According to him, Nigeria’s ability to build a globally competitive digital economy will depend not only on local talent and innovation but also on how effectively the country leverages the knowledge and resources of its Diaspora community.

“Nigeria’s greatest resource is not beneath our soil; it is in the ideas, ingenuity, resilience and global connections of our people,” Abdullahi said.

He noted that Nigerians living abroad represent a strategic resource whose expertise, investment capacity, technology networks and international experience could contribute significantly to the country’s digital development.

The NITDA boss urged stakeholders to look beyond remittances and explore the Diaspora’s potential as a source of investment, mentorship, technical expertise, market access and international connections for Nigerian startups and technology companies.

He also advocated deliberate efforts to connect innovators and entrepreneurs in Nigeria with professionals, investors and technology leaders across the world.

Such collaboration, he said, could help Nigeria move from “brain drain to brain circulation,” while shifting the focus from remittances to strategic investment and shared national prosperity.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for the agency to highlight emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s digital economy, including artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital skills, cloud and digital infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Abdullahi said the agency remains focused on creating an enabling environment for innovation and building strategic partnerships capable of transforming Nigeria’s youthful population, entrepreneurial energy and indigenous technological solutions into globally competitive opportunities.

He stressed that stronger engagement with Nigerians abroad should not be viewed simply as a strategy for attracting capital, but as a means of creating sustained connections between Nigerian talent at home and knowledge, experience, networks and opportunities available globally