Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi has said that the Agency has grown beyond the dreams of its founders having delivered 100 per cent with higher and deeper impacts on Nigeria’s economy.
Abdullahi spoke at NITDA’s 20th Anniversary Lecture and launch of the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (2021-2024) held on Thursday, 29th April 2021 with the theme ‘Great and Resilience.’
“Twenty years is a significant milestone in the life of any institution. Some of the biggest companies in the world today were established in the last twenty years or less. Therefore, it is critical for NITDA to introspect its past and project into the future, set new targets, and improve for the better,” Abdullahi said.
The NITDA DG noted that talking about resilience, NITDA sees digital technologies as a source of inspiration to reinvent and meet the digital age challenges in an increasingly dynamic and competitive world.
“There is no doubt that NITDA has made a difference and touched the lives of more than 2.5 million Nigerians. Our impact is visible across the country, and this can be attested to by the outcomes. Just recently, our sector, the ICT sector bailed Nigeria out of a COVID-induced recession that was predicted to crush the Nigerian spirit.
“We have attracted more foreign investments into the digital economy sector than any developing country globally. Our developmental regulations have created new economic industry such as business process outsourcing, data protection and robust software industry,” he said.
Abdullahi stated that despite the modest achievements recorded by the Agency, NITDA was not oblivious of the multi-dimensional challenges confronting the country but added that it believes there is a silver lining for innovation to create prosperity for all.
“We have an excellent opportunity to leapfrog into the future through the 4th Industrial Revolution. We are blessed with the most prominent black diaspora, resilient and resourceful youths, solid and diverse culture, abundant natural resources etc.
“The NITDA of the next decade is prepared to act as an institutional catalyst to actualise the long-held dream of every Nigerian to build a Nation where peace, prosperity and justice shall reign.
“The foundation for this dream has been laid by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, championed by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who has a laser-focused vision of digitalising Nigeria. This vision has been well articulated by the Nigeria Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).”
He said that because NDEPS is an overarching policy vision that needs strategic action by all relevant stakeholders to become a reality, NITDA, no doubt, is pivotal to the implementation of the NDEPS, noting that it is for this purpose that the Agency has initiated a thorough strategy drafting process as introduced by his predecessor Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.
“This process was carried out in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders by identifying gaps and opportunities in Nigeria’s digital economy aspiration. Critical government policies and documents such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship policy, National Broadband Action Plan, Cybersecurity Policy, amongst others, were consulted to have strategy coherence. This process culminated in the NITDA Strategic Roadmap Plan and Action Plan (SRAP).
“The objectives of the Strategy are: to articulate a new strategy for NITDA in accordance with the current aspirations of the Government, the realities of today and the demands of the future; to contribute its quota towards the implementation of NDEPS, especially within the framework of its mandate; and to implement programs that would facilitate the digital transformation of Nigeria,” the NITDA DG said.