The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has said that emerging technologies hold immense potential in transforming trade and investment across Africa, paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable digital economy.

Inuwa made this known while delivering a keynote address—delivered on his behalf by Engr. Salisu Kaka, Director of Digital Economy Development Department—at the Nigeria AfCFTA Hackathon 2025, part of the Science of Trade Conference held in Lagos.

Highlighting the vast opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Inuwa described the recently adopted AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol as a landmark step toward breaking down trade barriers, harmonising regulations, and unlocking new markets. With over 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3 trillion, he said AfCFTA stands as one of the world’s largest free trade zones.

“Nigeria, with its population of over 200 million and strong entrepreneurial culture, is uniquely positioned to lead Africa’s digital transformation,” he noted.

Pointing to innovations such as e-commerce, mobile payments, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms, Inuwa stressed that these technologies are rapidly reshaping the commercial landscape. “From Abuja, I can order products online, conduct due diligence, make payments, and receive deliveries—technology has made trade seamless,” he said.

He described the Hackathon as timely, coming on the heels of the African Union’s 2024 endorsement of the Digital Trade Protocol, which aims to eliminate digital trade barriers across all 54 African nations.

Inuwa also cited the success of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in adopting digital tools through systems such as the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS II), which led to a 238% revenue increase between 2017 and 2023. He added that its successor, the Unified Customs Management System, launched in December 2024, has already generated over ₦31 billion, underscoring Nigeria’s leadership in digital trade facilitation.

The Hackathon focuses on five key priority areas: Youth and MSME Inclusion, E-Commerce Adoption, E-Commerce Policy and Trust, Digital Payments, and the E-Commerce Regulatory Sandbox. These, Inuwa said, are sectors where digital tools can significantly enhance trade dynamics and promote equitable growth.

“I’m confident that the Hackathon will spark innovative, scalable solutions to boost intra-African e-commerce, streamline cross-border transactions, and empower MSMEs with digital capabilities to compete globally,” he stated.

In his welcome address, Dr. Olusegun Awolowo, National Coordinator of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office—represented by Olusegun Olutayo, Senior International Trade Policy and Law Expert—emphasised that transformation is an ongoing journey. He reiterated the need for collaboration, innovation, and inclusion as Africa moves to establish itself as a hub for digital trade.

Awolowo described AfCFTA as a transformative platform, portraying Africa as a unified market with enormous potential for intra-continental trade, investment, and economic expansion.

“The Hackathon is a tangible step toward implementing the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol. It prioritises inclusion, innovation, and equitable access, generating actionable solutions that bridge policy and practice,” he added.

The conference brought together stakeholders from government, technology, and trade sectors to explore digital innovations that will accelerate Africa’s digital economy and empower the next generation of African innovators.

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By Fatimah Yusuf Usman,

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to aligning Nigeria’s e-commerce policy with the digital trade provisions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This was the focus of a two-day workshop held in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to review and validate the draft National E-Commerce Policy and Strategy (NEPS).

The event was organized by NITDA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to ensure Nigeria’s digital trade framework aligns with regional and global standards.

Engr. Salisu Kaka, PhD, who represented NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, emphasized the importance of e-commerce in Nigeria’s economy.

He stated that NITDA is committed to refining the 2022 e-commerce policy to fully integrate AfCFTA’s digital trade provisions, ensuring Nigeria remains competitive in the regional market.

Mr. Abdullahi Usman from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment traced the development of NEPS, highlighting the need for policy adjustments to reflect evolving trade dynamics.

He commended Kashifu Inuwa’s proactive leadership in driving the collaboration.

Prof. Abiodun Bankole, a leading expert in digital trade, presented an overview of NEPS 2.0, the updated policy framework.

He outlined key areas requiring modifications to enhance Nigeria’s participation in AfCFTA’s digital economy.

Stakeholders at the workshop shared insights and recommendations to strengthen the policy, expressing optimism that the revised NEPS would boost Nigeria’s role in regional and global e-commerce.

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The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has called for a concerted effort among industry players, government officials and experts to explore the transformative potential of Blockchain technology in asset management and economic development of the country.

The DG made this appeal at the Tokenised Economic Conference and Exhibitions themed; Tokenised Economy 2024; Real-World Assets Tokenisation, organised by Cyberchain in collaboration with the BAZE University and NITDA.

Recognising technology as an enabler for the nation’s GDP growth, the conference was a platform for industry professionals to share ideas and expertise in exploring opportunities in digital assets finance, capital markets, commodities, mortgage, bonds and real estate fractional ownership.

Giving his keynote address at the event, Inuwa outlined the benefits of tokenising physical and digital assets through Blockchain technology and emphasized its capacity to revolutionise asset management, exchange and security.

The DG who was represented at the event by the Director of e-Government and Digital Economy Development department, Engr. Salisu Kaka described tokenisation as converting traditional physical or digital assets into digital tokens recorded on a blockchain.

While explaining that tokens serve as digital representations of real assets, Inuwa mentioned that “when assets are tokenised, a Blockchain token is issued as a digital and legal representation of the real asset which allows assets to be sold, held and traded in a digital format, enhancing liquidity and accessibility.”

He further emphasised that the process of tokenisation involves choosing the asset to be tokenised, complying with legal and regulatory requirements, establishing secure custody solutions and blockchain networks and distributing tokens to potential investors through secure payment channels.

Laying reference to real estate investment markets which are plagued by inefficient transfer and record-keeping processes, Inuwa averred that tokenisation would mitigate the challenges by automating these processes.

“It offers several advantages over traditional real estate financing, such as automating processes, increasing liquidity, lowering investment barriers, and improving transparency. As a result, it is considered a promising development for the future of real estate markets,” he stated.

While stressing the need for Nigeria to position itself as the lead nation in the tokenised economy in Africa, he lauded the Lagos State’s plan to tokenise real estate and described it as a bold move that could set an example for other states to follow.

He added that tokenising other key sectors, including agriculture, oil and gas, securities, bonds and derivatives could further accelerate wealth creation and economic growth in the country.

Inuwa however noted that it was essential to establish a clear regulatory framework that would boost the confidence of investors as well as develop strong infrastructures that would support the tokenised economy.

He disclosed that since the launch of the National Blockchain Policy (NBP) and the inauguration of its steering committee, NITDA has been at the forefront of promoting the use of emerging technologies particularly blockchain technology by working closely with the blockchain ecosystem in promoting the adoption of the blockchain technology across all sectors of the country.

“Real-world asset tokenisation would offer a promising avenue for Nigeria to unlock its economic potential and improve the lives of its citizens. Nigeria has the potential to become a leader in the tokenised economy in Africa. By investing in infrastructure, education, and a supportive regulatory environment, Nigeria can unlock the full potential of tokenisation and drive economic growth.” he concluded.

In his remark, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama spoke on how tokenisation breaks down traditional barriers and makes investments in areas like real estate and art accessible to a wider range of people, regardless of their financial status.

He stated that the shift would allow for the diversification of investments and would encourage more people to participate in previously exclusive markets.

Noting that tokenisation is a process that converts real-world assets into digital tokens, he said “Through tokenisation, these highly qualified assets become more accessible to a broader audience, democratizing wealth and enabling more inclusive financial participation.”

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy is working to collapse the physical barriers in the context of trade for economic growth regardless of location through digital technology.

The Director General NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Acting Director, Digital Economy Development Department (DED), Engr Salisu Kaka, stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the Maiden ‘Nigeria – Cote D’Ivoire Business Roundtable and Exhibition’ at the Margins of the 64th ECOWAS Summit in Abuja.

The Business Roundtable and Exhibition was a Public Private sector partnership co-hosted by the Nigerian Association of Chambers, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), on behalf of the organised private sector and the federal government of Nigeria, coordinated by the Economic, Trade and Investment Department of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The aim of the event was to propel a deeper private sector engagement as a remedy between the two West African countries. Nigeria hosted the maiden edition of the Roundtable and Exhibition on Saturday 9th December 2023 while Cote D’ Ivoire will host the second edition at the margins of the African cup of Nation (AFCON) competition in Cote D’ Ivoire come January 2024.

According to DG NITDA, “For Africa and Nigeria in particular to leap frog and develop, our economy has to leverage technology.”

Inuwa, while stating the opportunities in technology for economic growth said, “It is only technology that can give you the opportunity within the comfort of your zone to advertise, sell, and promote wherever you can think of. It can be a product, it can be a service or an idea”

He encouraged MSMEs, who are the drivers of the economy not only in Nigeria but globally to, embrace technology as that is the easiest way to increase their contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This, he said, “is captured in the 5-pillar Strategic Agenda of the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani.

They are in pillars; #2, which is Policy. As an effective policy provides regulatory clarity and necessary incentives for an environment where businesses and innovators are empowered to grow. Pillar #3, which is Infrastructure; as building stronger digital infrastructure is beyond connecting people but centres on economic empowerment and creating opportunities for inclusion. And pillar #4, which is the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Capital; as it provides a roadmap for Nigeria to harness the potential of these 3 pillars as catalysts for the transformation of Nigeria’s digital economy. It is the driving force behind the creation of an environment that encourages innovation, supports entrepreneurship, and allures the required capital to deliver on our ambitions.”

Speaking earlier during his welcome address, the Director, Economic, Trade and Investment Department of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Ambassador Akinremi Bolaji said, “the event would create a good platform for Nigeria to take assessment of her readiness, preparation, inter-Agency, and public private sector collaboration.”

Stating further, “our intention is to expand the presence of our private sector in Cote D’ Ivoire and the West African sub region.”

He said the event was conceived few weeks ago as a result of a meeting held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in November between Ambassador Bolaji and the Ambassador of Cote D’ Ivoire, H. E Kalilou Taore as a result of the observation of the challenges in deepening economic relations between the two countries despite the effort to deepen relations. He mentioned that both countries do well politically but continues to nose dive in terms of trade.

Some organisations at the event were, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority(NEPZA); National Action Committee of AFCFTA; and many more.

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TECHDIGEST – The Federal Government of Nigeria, through National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), distributed smart agriculture materials to beneficiaries of the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) 5-Day Empowerment Programme which took place at Al-Qalam University, Katsina, Katsina State.

NAVSA Programme is designed to accelerate massive job creation, economic diversification and growth, facilitate the integration of digital technologies and innovations in the agriculture processes and practices in order to significantly increase productivity, improve food security, ensure an eco-friendly agricultural practice, attract potential talents and youths into agriculture professions to maximise outcomes.

In this edition, the Federal Government has improved green energy-powered smart brooding to enhance the survival rate of broilers, a smart irrigation system to support a year-long production, and a soil nutrient monitoring system to support information-driven farming on a demo land.

This is in addition to other benefits such as: Smart Device, 100,000 Naira seed fund, AgricTech training/capacity Building, Connectivity (Internet and CUG), NAVSA Platform, Financial inclusion through digital wallets, e-Extension and insurance services, Continuous reinvestment model opportunities and Unmanned Area Vehicle (UAV)/Drone for smart farm.

READ ALSO: Kashifu Inuwa Bags Forbes Corporate CEO Award as NITDA Trains 100 Journalists in January’

Speaking during the closing ceremony on Friday, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE who was represented by Ag. Director, Digital Economy Development of the Agency, Engr. Salisu Kaka, stated that, “Agriculture remains one of the critical sectors of Nigeria’s economy. This is evident in the policies of the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR. Every economic, developmental and social policy gives agriculture priority.”

Inuwa said the NAVSA Empowerment will enhance agriculture value chain, create new value and opportunities through new business models and services, and ultimately enable the creation of millions of jobs while taking the people out of poverty and enabling economic growth and diversification.

“With our potential in arable land size and youthful population, modernizing the agricultural sector can change the narrative and multiply the contribution of the sector to the national GDP in many folds. Unfortunately, the sector is the least digitized in the country. It has been proved that any digitized business has the potential to grow exponentially.”

“We hold a social contract to ensure IT drives every aspect of life and contributes to every community and national development as a whole. In line with our mandates, we carry out digital technology-driven interventions in any industry and sector of the economy across the country.”

“This is evident in all digitised economic sectors of the world such as the Bank, financial services, media and entertainment among others. Undoubtedly, digitization of the economic sectors has proved to be the game changer for economic transformation across the globe.

It is believed that if the agriculture sector is properly managed and enhanced, it would be a genuine means of eradicating poverty, improving people’s standard of living, diversifying the economy and creating prosperity for Nigerians,” Inuwa noted.

He further said, “We all have it as a duty to ensure agriculture is practised as a business and not a way of life as usual. There is a need to modernise agricultural practices in the country. In view of this conviction and in line with its mandates of universal IT access and integration into every sector of the economy, NITDA has designed a digital technology and ecosystem-driven innovation to address most of our challenges in the agriculture sector.

“The narrative is being changed through NAVSA and other digital agricultural initiatives. This is to support the digitisation of the agricultural sector to address our challenges, exploit the opportunities and accelerate economic growth, in line with the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP) and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

He added that NESP takes agriculture as a mainstay for economic recovery, diversification, and job creation. The plan proposed a mass agriculture programme to bring 20,000 to 100,000 hectares of new farmland under cultivation in every State of the Federation.

According to Inuwa, the aim is to create 5 million job opportunities, directly and indirectly spanning the entire agricultural value chain, from ‘farm to table’. This can only be achieved by incentivising and engaging millions of Nigerians in farming and agro-processing.

“We have chosen to work with AUK in this edition of NAVSA because we are convinced that being a community-owned institutions, it possesses a unique advantage of a having a highly sustainable business model that can support the sustainability framework of NAVSA. We will be at advantage of having the opportunity to prove that community-based innovations are better ways of proffering solutions to our socio-economic challenges.”

“With the NAVSA, we also believe that unemployment, insecurity and the underdeveloped economy challenges we are facing today in Nigeria can be addressed through agriculture,” he concluded.

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TECHDIGEST – As data affects how we make decisions on the path to creating a sustainable future especially in the post-COVID-19 era and the emerging challenges, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE said that the governance of data and how Nigeria as a country seeks to position herself in this agenda is key to ensuring that maximum value is derived, and provide the needed support for the thriving innovation ecosystem.

Inuwa who was represented by the Acting Director, Digital Economy Development Department (DED), Engr. Salisu Kaka made this statement while delivering his welcome address at a stakeholders’ engagement on the Draft National Data Strategy (NDS) organised by NITDA in Abuja.

The Stakeholders’ Engagement is to provide information about the proposed NDS; opportunities for stakeholders to discuss their opinions and concerns; address expectations and misconceptions regarding the NDS and discuss the potential impacts of the strategy.

Inuwa stated that, “the non-depletion characteristics of data make it a special asset for the creation of value and is of key strategic importance for both the public and private sectors. Its proper utilisation can create a competitive advantage, especially for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in this era of data economy.”

Speaking on the Draft, Inuwa noted that the strategy seeks to create an enabling environment for access to data to develop the digital economy, adding that it also supports the development of Data Infrastructures, Data for Public Good, Open Government Data, Data Privacy and Protection, and Upskilling Nigerians in both public and private sectors”.

READ ALSO: NITDA Works With Stakeholders To Create Irreversible Transformative Changes – DG Boss

The DG opined that data collection/acquisition, transmission, storage/warehousing, processing, use, and protection must be carried out in a manner that is respectful of the rights enshrined in the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

He added that Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) has also been created to further mainstream data privacy and Protection.

Presenting the Nigeria Data Strategy to stakeholders Mr. Lukman Lamid said “the essence of the engagement is not just to have an excellent document but one that can be implemented”.

He said the vision of NDS is “to make Nigeria one of the top leaders in the global data economy translating into prosperity of all.”

Mr. Lamid explained that, “the mission of the NDS is harness the economic and social values of data for the advancement of Nigeria. He added that  the goal is to make data as accessible, sharable, and actionable as possible for all categories of stakeholders who might need it for economic and social gains.”

While noting that the value proposition of the NDS is ownership, security and privacy, public good, job creation, and global competitiveness.

Mr. Lamid said it will also take cognizance the global issues around Data and Data Strategy such as; data security and protection, data privacy, data sovereignty, and data mobility and cross-border data flows.

The event witnessed four break-out sessions. While the first and second break-out session focused and made recommendation on the NDS aspirations (vision, mission, goals, objectives, principles, and value proposition), Governance, and Ecosystem structure, the third and fourth discussed and made recommendations on the NDS enablers, drivers, pillars, and implementation strategy.

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TECHDIGEST – As part of the implementation of the second phase of the National e-Government Master Plan (NeGMP) the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with the Republic of Korea, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Office in Nigeria, has commenced the implementation of one of the main component of the second phase which is the development of the Enterprise Architecture (EA) Framework for Nigeria.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, who was represented by the Acting Director, Digital Economy, Engr Salisu Kaka said that the EA is one of the components of the second phase of the NeGPM implementation. The quadruple of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); National Identification Management Commission (NIMC); Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS); National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, were approved by the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (FMoCDE), Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) to be used for the pilot implementation of the EA project. 

He stated that the EA Framework is aimed at helping the Federal Government through its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to seamlessly navigate the digital transformation journey and prepare the country for the future of the digital economy.

The pilot implementation process is starting with a one-week training for the four selected MDAs which will run from Monday 17th to Friday 21st October 2022. Other implementation activities will continue after the training. 

READ ALSO: Buhari Confers ‘Digital Innovation Award’ on Pantami

Inuwa mentioned that the EA implementation is going to cover all MDAs in the long run. He said the four MDAs used for the pilot are to be the pace setters and will be used to bench-mark the implementation process for the rest of the MDAs.

Prof Park Byeong, Korean EA expert and Nigerian EA project lead, during a presentation at the training said; “EA defines business and Information Technology (IT) blueprint and architecture in each different view using abstraction.”

He explained that the EA concept was started in 1987 by John Zachman who raised a need to express a conceptual framework for the integration and linkage of information systems and named it Architecture Framework. 

He further explained that the evolution of the EA which was initially Information System Architecture (ISA) in 1987, presented a solution to the increasing complexity of information systems. In 1992, it became Information Technology Architecture (ITA) which was used as a tool for the systematic management of IT in the 1990s, and then, in 2000, it became EA which was extended to include the whole enterprise as a focus area.

The 5 day training took place at the e-Government Training Centre (eGTC), Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Kubwa, Abuja

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TECHDIGEST – The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mal. Kashifu Inuwa has expressed optimism that Nigeria will in the coming years benefit heavily from the 1.78 trillion USD global spending on digital transformation.

The NITDA Boss, who expressed this optimism in Abuja during a Breakfast Session tagged “Journey to the Cloud,” which was organised by MainOne in partnership with NITDA, noted that such gains will be visible across the public and private sectors of the country’s economy.

“Occasioned by the “sudden digital shift the world is currently expressing” which would make the digital transformation global spending to 1.78 trillion USD before the end of the year 2022, there would be a drastic surge in Nigeria’s digital transformation projects in the public sector,” Inuwa, who was represented at the event by the Acting Director, Digital Economy Department, Engr Salisu Kaka said.

Quoting research conducted by the International Data Corporation that predicts digital transformation investment would total 6.8 trillion USD between 2022 to 2023, Mal. Inuwa believes that the world’s GDP is set to be digitalized by 2022 and 70% of organizations globally will have to accelerate their use of digital technologies, transforming existing business processes and models to drive customer engagement, employee productivity and business resiliency.

He attributed the digital transformation’s growth to several contributing factors that are awakening the consciousness of the world and reemphasizing the importance of digital technologies.

For instance, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the reasons for the growth, stressing that the pandemic necessitated the need to create a new workspace, work culture and new competencies and capabilities.

This, according to him has considerably increased the digital transformation tempo around the globe in 2020.

In her welcome remarks, MainOne Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Funke Opeke who was represented by the company’s Head, Enterprise and Regional Business, Olubunmi Ogun disclosed the company has developed a reputation for providing highly reliable services.

READ ALSO : NITDA’s ONDI Organises Capacity Training Programme For Startups

She said the company today has provided Microsoft services for clients which involves creation of applications to aid ease operations adding that the acquisition of the company by Equinix would ensure more values are derived from the services of the company.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) through its subsidiary, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), in collaboration with Lotus Beta Analytics Nigeria Limited has commenced a capacity building program to enhance the innovative skill of startups.

The training, which held at the Public Service Institute, Abuja, focused on modernization of legacy solutions, migration of on-premises business solutions to the Cloud, development of Cloud applications and driving exponential revenue growth.

ALSO READ : NITDA, NASS, Others Forge Alliance To Sustain Digital Economy

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said the capacity building will help the Agency achieve its goal of creating more Innovation Driven Enterprises (IDEs) in line with the objectives of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pillar.

Represented by Engr. Salisu Kaka, the acting Director of Digital Economy Development Department, Inuwa noted that the training programme was borne out of the Agency’s desire of ensuring the successful implementation of the present administration’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS) within the stipulated period.

“The sudden increase in demand for software and online web-based applications among businesses as necessitated by the COVID-19 outbreak had a positive impact on the growth of DevOps market and led to the growing need of DevOps solution among businesses to streamline the process of software application development by promoting collaboration between various entities of software development lifecycle.

“Additionally, the rise in need for continuous and fast application delivery and increase in focus on reducing Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) and Operating Expenses (OPEX) drive the growth of the DevOps market.

“Therefore, this collaboration is apt and timely in ensuring that our startups benefit from the DevOps market growth” he explained.

The NITDA DG urged participants to make the best use of the opportunity to tap into the growing DevOps market by ensuring that all learnings are translated into meaningful use to scale their businesses and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.

On his part, the Managing Director, Lotus Analytics, Mr Ademola Akinbode, said the programme will serve as a springboard to groom tech startups,is also expected to develop Nigeria’s Tech ecosystem.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has expressed optimism that in the coming years, there would be a drastic change in Nigeria’s digital transformation projects in the public sector.

The Agency said this would be occasioned by the “sudden digital shift the world is currently expressing” which would make the digital transformation global spending to 1.78 trillion USD before the end of the year 2022.

Kashifu Inuwa, the NITDA’s Director General, disclosed this in Abuja during a Breakfast Session tagged “Journey to the Cloud,” the event organised by MainOne in partnership with NITDA is aimed at sharing industry trends and experience towards accelerating digital transformation in the public sector.

Inuwa, who was represented by the Acting Director, Digital Economy Department, Engr Salisu Kaka quoted research conducted by the International Data Corporation that predicts digital transformation investment would total 6.8 trillion USD between 2022 to 2023, adding that the world’s GDP is set to be digitalized by 2022 and 70% of organizations globally will have to accelerate their use of digital technologies, transforming existing business processes and models to drive customer engagement, employee productivity, and business resiliency.

He attributed the digital transformation’s growth to several contributing factors that are awakening the consciousness of the world and reemphasizing the importance of digital technologies.

According to the DG, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic was one of the reasons for the growth.

He added that, “the pandemic necessitated the need to create a new workspace, work culture, and new competencies and capabilities; this has considerably increased the digital transformation tempo around the globe in 2020.”

He observed that, as part of its Digital Transformation efforts in the last five years, NITDA has embarked on a series of initiatives to drive government-wide adoption of e-Government, digitization of Government processes, and improvement in the maturity of the country’s digital capabilities to match the realities of the global digital economy.

READ ALSO : NITDA, NASS, Others Forge Alliance To Sustain Digital Economy

He noted that “the efforts are regulatory and developmental in nature and are ultimately geared towards building a strong foundation for digital economy development and a proudly Digital Nigeria of our dreams adding that having a continuous interaction with the private sector which are the large supplier and the public sector the large consumers would enhance meeting the expectation of the sector”.

While acknowledging that the establishment of the Digital Transformation Technical Working Groups in the Federal Public Institutions was necessitated by the approval and the launch of the Nigeria e-Government Master Plan by the Federal Executive Council and the launching of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, Inuwa maintained that the two documents have provided “clear directions for the government’s digital transformation of the economy and the society for a digital Nigeria.”

He said, “We at NITDA believe that realizing the objectives of these two documents required building appropriate human capabilities, partnerships, co-creating, and knowledge-sharing environments. This belief puts the competence and capability of professional public servants at the forefront of NITDA’s effort on the digital transformation agenda and drives the Agency to continually seek partnerships that can further enrich our digital transformation Journey for a digital Nigeria.”

Inuwa, however noted that digital transformation has rendered countries and organizations more agile in responding to unknown changing phenomena making them more resilient adding that adoption of emerging technologies such as cloud services, Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes imperative.

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