News Highlights:
- NITDA, NSUK partner for Digital Transformation
- AI’s role in addressing national challenges highlighted
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reiterated the agency’s commitment to promoting collaboration among researchers, technology experts, and academics to address national challenges through innovation and advanced technology, reports Digital TimesNG.
Inuwa made this statement during a visit by the management of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, to NITDA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja, where he emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between academics, engineers, and entrepreneurs to tackle pressing national issues such as environmental sustainability, public health, and infrastructure.
The NITDA DG said this aligns with NITDA’s mission to build a robust technology research ecosystem, with a focus on Digital Literacy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Research & Development (R&D), and also supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises digital transformation and equipping students with future-ready skills.
NITDA and NSUK have agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to institutionalize their partnership, ensuring sustainable collaboration that accelerates innovation in Nigeria’s tech sector, empowers students with digital skills, and contributes to national development through research-driven solutions.
Inuwa further highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) beyond office automation, particularly in healthcare and agriculture, saying “imagine developing a bot that can provide quality health services to our remote areas. One of the challenges we are facing in our healthcare system is the lack of professionals. It’s difficult to get specialist doctors everywhere, but AI can help fill this gap.”
He cited a recent study in Nigeria where AI chatbots like ChatGPT were tested against human doctors for medical prescriptions, showing that AI often matched or even outperformed human doctors.
“This underscores the potential of AI in telemedicine, offering accessible and efficient healthcare services to underserved communities. Beyond healthcare, NITDA believes AI can drive innovations in agriculture, education, and other critical sectors, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to leveraging technology for national development,” he added.
Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman had earlier expressed gratitude to NITDA for its ongoing support in enhancing technology research, digital literacy, and innovation at the institution, emphasizing the valuable benefits of their collaboration.
“NSUK has been recognized as a pioneer participant in NITDA’s digital transformation program, a model that the National Universities Commission (NUC) aims to expand to other universities across Nigeria. The university believes this initiative will be highly successful, aligning with its vision of equipping students with digital skills to meet global workforce demands.
“As part of its commitment to advancing technology education, NSUK has established a Digital Literacy Center at the Faculty of Engineering, where students are developing tech gadgets to enhance their skills and global competitiveness. Our goal is to ensure that our students are not only well-prepared for Nigeria but also globally competitive wherever they go,” she emphasized.
She further highlighted that the collaboration between NITDA and NSUK continues to strengthen Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem, ensuring students are well-equipped for the digital economy and future workforce.
