The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, says Nigeria’s recent policy reforms are driving global tech giants like Microsoft and Google to deepen their investments in the country.
Speaking at a two-day citizens engagement session hosted by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna, Inuwa described the interest from global companies as a sign of Nigeria’s accelerating digital transformation.
The event, themed ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government Engagement for National Unity’, evaluated the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on technology and inclusive governance.
Recent reports indicate Google has committed $37 million to support AI development in Nigeria, including funding for skills training, infrastructure, and government partnerships. Microsoft has also pledged $1 million to train one million Nigerians in AI and drive cloud adoption by 2026.
Inuwa stated that digital technology underpins President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda and is critical to achieving national development goals. He said Nigeria’s digital strategy is built on three pillars: human capital development, digital infrastructure, and innovation-led entrepreneurship.
“Our greatest asset is our people,” he said, citing initiatives like the 3 Million Technical Talent program and Digital Literacy for All, which have trained over 350,000 people in Northern Nigeria since 2023. The goal, according to Inuwa, is to ensure that at least 70% of Nigerians attain basic digital literacy by 2027.
NITDA is partnering with the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to integrate digital literacy into all levels of education, from early childhood to tertiary institutions. The agency is also collaborating with the National Youth Service Corps to train corps members as digital ambassadors.
To support this growth, the government has approved the rollout of 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to expand broadband coverage across Nigeria. Inuwa added that three digital centres are being constructed in each state to boost access in underserved communities.
So far, the government has established 13 IT Community Centres, 101 Digital Economy E-Learning Centres, and a Cybersecurity Research Centre nationwide.
According to Inuwa, the renewed policy environment under President Tinubu has helped boost investor confidence. “Companies like Microsoft and Google are increasing their presence in Nigeria because they see the direction we’re heading,” he said.
He also announced that Nigeria will host two major international tech events later this year: GITEX Nigeria in September and the United Nations’ International Conference on Electronic Governance in November. Both events are expected to attract global innovators, investors, and policymakers.
