To accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation through homegrown innovation, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening research partnerships with universities to develop technology-based solutions that address real-life national challenges across critical sectors.
The commitment was made by the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, when the management of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly the University of Abuja), led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a familiarisation visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, Abdullahi stressed that collaboration between government and academia remains essential to building a thriving innovation ecosystem, developing future-ready talent, and positioning Nigeria as a leading digital economy.
He noted that increased investment in research is fundamental to unlocking the potential of emerging technologies and driving inclusive economic growth.
“We need to invest more in in-depth research with universities to build a robust research ecosystem that will help us develop solutions. Research will focus on harnessing AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity, and Cloud technology, among other emerging technologies, to improve our lives and grow our digital economy.
“NITDA has a vision to make Nigeria a digitally empowered nation. You (UniAbuja) are the talent factory, and we cannot achieve our vision without talented Nigerians. The only way to achieve that is working with institutions like yours. So, we need to build talent.
“We can work together to explore ways of introducing AI across the board as a general study course in tertiary institutions. Elements of AI should be included in every field of study to equip our students with the hands-on skills for navigating the real world,” Abdullahi stated.
The NITDA Director General further disclosed that the Agency is already collaborating with key education stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education, to integrate digital literacy into curricula across all levels of education.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at equipping graduates with the digital competencies required to meet evolving industry demands.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said the visit was aimed at seeking strategic collaboration with NITDA to strengthen the institution’s digital infrastructure and expand technology-driven education and research.
He commended the Agency for its support in establishing the University’s Digital Geoscience Centre and expressed the institution’s readiness to collaborate on research, innovation, and capacity-building initiatives that align with Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
“We could go into partnership with you to provide data, collaborative engagements, staff exchanges, joint research hubs, so that we can produce high-level human resources. The university is committed to serving as a strategic academic partner to NITDA by providing academic expertise required to advance your national digital transformation initiatives,” Fawehinmi promised.
The proposed partnership is expected to deepen collaboration between academia and government, strengthen Nigeria’s research ecosystem, and accelerate the development of indigenous digital solutions capable of addressing socio-economic challenges while supporting the country’s transition to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.