The Federal Government is intensifying efforts to position Nigeria as a leading digital economy in Africa through investments in indigenous technology development, digital infrastructure, innovation funding and emerging technologies.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this at the Global Tech Africa event in Kano, where he outlined the administration’s strategy for building a technology-driven economy and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global digital space.
Speaking on the theme “Connecting Africa, Accelerating Growth,” Inuwa said the government was pursuing a comprehensive digital transformation agenda that goes beyond internet connectivity to developing local capacity, promoting technology adoption and translating digital opportunities into economic prosperity.
He identified human capital development as a major pillar of the strategy, citing the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme and the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative as key interventions designed to equip Nigerians with relevant skills for the evolving digital economy.
According to him, the government is also integrating digital education into the formal school system, from kindergarten to tertiary institutions, to nurture a generation capable of developing indigenous technological solutions and competing effectively in the global market.
He said the DL4ALL initiative was targeting 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, to ensure that Nigerians across communities and economic sectors possess the competencies to access and utilise digital services.
The NITDA boss stressed that digital transformation should not be measured solely by the availability of internet access and smartphones but by how effectively technology improves productivity, expands business opportunities and creates economic value.
He explained that the ultimate goal was to move citizens and businesses from connectivity and basic digital literacy to technology adoption, improved efficiency, reduced operating costs and increased market access.
On financing innovation, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), was working towards establishing six funds to support startups developing innovative solutions.
He also identified the Bank of Industry and other development finance institutions as important sources of funding for technology entrepreneurs, while emphasising the need for greater private-sector participation in building a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
“Private investors can provide not only capital but also equity partnerships, corporate governance, business expertise and leadership to help startups grow,” he explained.
On digital infrastructure, he said the Federal Government was pursuing plans to extend fibre-optic connectivity across all 774 Local Government Areas, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as part of efforts to expand broadband access nationwide.
However, he noted that connectivity alone would not deliver the desired economic transformation without adequate domestic computing infrastructure.
This, he said, informed NITDA’s National Sovereign Cloud Initiative, which is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s computing capacity, promote digital sovereignty and ensure that data generated within the country can be securely processed and stored locally.
Describing data centres as the refineries of the digital economy, Inuwa explained that they provide the computing capacity needed to convert raw data into valuable insights, products and services.
He argued that Nigeria must develop the capacity to own and control these critical digital assets to reduce reliance on foreign computing infrastructure and establish itself as the computing hub for West and Central Africa.
On artificial intelligence, the NITDA Director-General expressed concern over Africa’s limited representation in the development of emerging technologies, noting that the continent accounts for less than two per cent of the data used to train AI models.
He called for increased local participation in developing Large Language Models (LLMs) and other artificial intelligence solutions that reflect Nigeria’s indigenous languages, cultural diversity and socioeconomic realities.
Inuwa also highlighted the economic opportunities available to Kano through digital transformation, urging the state to leverage technology to reclaim its historic position as a leading commercial centre in the Sahel region.
He said the growth of e-commerce and changing business models had disrupted traditional trading patterns, enabling customers in neighbouring countries to purchase goods online without necessarily travelling to Kano.
Despite these changes, he maintained that Kano could regain its commercial prominence by deploying digital platforms, modernising trade and taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to strengthen commercial links between North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.
He said the combination of digital technology, improved connectivity and modern trade systems offered Kano an opportunity to expand its economic influence beyond Nigeria and become a major gateway for regional commerce.