NITDA DG Commends Tinubu’s Support for Technology, Innovation

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing policies and support aimed at placing technology and innovation at the centre of Nigeria’s economic transformation.

Inuwa spoke at GITEX Nigeria in Lagos, where he said the Tinubu administration had recognised the need for Nigeria to move beyond traditional sources of economic growth by investing in diversification, innovation and digitalisation.

According to him, the vision is reflected in the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on economic diversification through industrialisation, digitalisation, creative industries, manufacturing and innovation.

He said Nigeria’s future economy would increasingly depend on the skills, ideas and creativity of its people rather than its physical resources.

“This makes Nigeria’s human capital its most valuable resource and places talent development at the heart of the country’s digital transformation,” Inuwa said.

The NITDA boss also highlighted efforts to integrate digital skills into formal education and programmes such as the 3 Million Technical Talent initiative, aimed at equipping Nigerians, especially young people, with skills needed in the technology-driven economy.

He said the focus should not only be on developing skilled Nigerians but also on creating an environment where their skills can be turned into businesses, innovations, products and solutions.

Inuwa added that Nigeria’s young population, large market and growing demand for innovative solutions provide the country with an opportunity to become a major contributor to the global digital economy.

According to him, the policies introduced by the Tinubu administration could help Nigeria use technology as an engine for productivity, economic diversification, inclusion and sustainable prosperity.