NITDA, Google West Africa strengthened their relationship

NITDA, Google West Africa strengthened their relationship

TECH DIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has continued to work with Goggle on collaborative initiatives to improve the ecosystem as part of its efforts to boost ICT’s contribution to the nation’s GDP.

While receiving the Google West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan, and the Government Relations and Public Policy team, the NITDA director-general, Kashifu Inuwa, stated that the two organizations’ symbiotic connection will enable adequate data representation. He explained that this is in keeping with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which aims to make Nigeria a digital country.

“We can obtain better results if we work together.” Government laws aren’t meant to suffocate or obstruct your business; rather, they’re meant to empower and open greater opportunities while also protecting your company and our residents,” he explained.

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Inuwa stated that it is the obligation of the government to safeguard its citizens. “Today, our lives are largely dependent on digital technology, and your company helps to meet this demand.” He emphasized the importance of creating a safer workplace because the breach would have consequences for both parties. “We will avoid duplication of efforts and operating in silos if we can get together to deepen our partnership.” He said that NITDA is currently partnering with other digital innovators such as MasterCard to strengthen the ecosystem and collaborate on Digital Literacy, Cyber Security, and other aspects of the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024), such as Data Protection. Inuwa bemoaned the fact that information that would have drawn more international investors to our country was misrepresented due to a lack of sufficient data.

People want to be associated with achievement, according to him, and “if no one shares success stories, people will believe nothing is going on in the ecosystem.” “We read what you tell us and show us, and it assists us in making decisions because we trust Google,” he added. The NITDA director insisted that the algorithm must be ethical in terms of basic values, regulations, and culture, emphasizing that technology can be harmed by gender inequality or racism. He attributed the problem to a lack of data and asserted that working with locals to make our content more indigenous may prevent similar breaches.

He added that the honorable minister led a delegation from the Ministry to the Lagos ecosystem four weeks ago, where we met with the majority of the sector’s participants. They discussed some of the items we’ll make to the Federal Executive Council FEC and requested clearance for some of the things we need to do to aid the environment.

Inuwa praised Google’s efforts to enhance the capability of Nigerians, with a goal of training 5 million Nigerians. He pleaded for such information to be made public in order to capture the number of Nigerians who are digitally literate, citing President Muhammed Buhari’s goal of achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030. Juliet Ehimuan, the director of Google West Africa, congratulated NITDA for being one of Google’s main strategic partners and stakeholders in the public sector with a long-standing connection in her remarks. She praised both organizations’ previous cooperation work and stated that her organization looks forward to future collaborations.

She physically presents the new Government Relations and Public Policy team members to her host, adding that the courtesy visit identifies possible areas for further collaboration. They include Adewole Adene and Dawn Dimowo, who will present updates on some of Google West Africa’s efforts and initiatives in the digital area in Nigeria, as well as get feedback on Nigeria’s top priorities in the ecosystem. Dr. Aminu Lawal, the special adviser on Digital Transformation appointed by the NITDA director-general, would serve as a liaison between the two organizations.