TECH DIGEST– The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa, has predicted that the Nigeria’s digital transformation future would be “brighter and also offers hope of being prosperous.”

He expressed this optimism in Lagos while delivering his keynote address titled, “Implementing a National Digital Transformation Agenda” at the Global Tech Africa 2023 with the theme, “Facilitating Investments in Africa’s Digital Economy.”

Inuwa disclosed that Nigeria’s greatest resource to which he hinges his prediction on, is Nigeria’s abundant human capital which remains her greatest resource. He noted that many global reports have predicted that there would be global talent crunch by 2030 that could affect the future of work but which Nigeria can explore to reimagining herself to become global talent factory.

In a world filled with challenges and crises, it is heartwarming that key government institutions and organisations in Nigeria are midwifing innovative solutions that will address the country’s socio-economic woes. One of such agencies is the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, committed to the full implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy.

NITDA’s comprehensive approach encompasses planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices in Nigeria, in a way that is positioning the nation on the path to a secured digital future.

At the risk of exaggerating, NITDA stands as a testament to the transformative power of government organizations dedicated to fostering positive change. The agency operates at the crossroads of government policies, community engagement, and technological advancements, with a mission to create a resilient and inclusive society.

One of NITDA’s flagship initiatives involves the strategic integration of digital skills into educational institutions and rural areas across the country. Recognizing the importance of Information Technology (IT) knowledge in the modern world, NITDA has been instrumental in bridging the digital divide across communities in the country.

As a matter of fact, NITDA has successfully implemented projects aimed at developing human capital and providing universal access to knowledge. Particularly, the tech-focused agency established about 988 information technology centres nationwide, between 2007 and 2017. These centres serve as hubs for digital learning, equipping individuals in both urban and rural areas with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly-digitized global economy.

In furtherance, NITDA’s commitment to community engagement extends beyond the confines of Nigeria’s major cities, to remote hamlets. By integrating IT knowledge into these areas, NITDA is not only creating a knowledge-based economy but also fostering a sense of empowerment among communities that may have otherwise been left behind.

Without any scintilla of doubt, NITDA’s efforts align seamlessly with the broader goal of the National Digital Economy policy. By nurturing digital skills, the agency is sowing the seeds for a workforce equipped to navigate the complexities of the digital age. As technology continues to reshape industries and economies, NITDA’s initiatives are positioning Nigeria as a competitive player on the global stage.

Likewise, as NITDA continues to spearhead initiatives that bridge the digital divide, the agency’s impact on Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape becomes increasingly evident. The strides made in digital literacy and skill development underscore the potential for positive change when government organizations prioritize technology as a means of empowerment.

It is on record that NITDA’s initiatives have spurred an exceptional surge in the patronage of locally-assembled devices. Records show a remarkable increase in sales by Indigenous Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) – from 98,224 devices in 2015 to an impressive 355,647 devices in 2017. The enforcement of the Local Content Policy on the N-Power Social Investment Scheme further contributed to the patronage of indigenous OEMs, injecting a substantial 10.5 billion naira into the economy in just three months.

Aside from the fact that NITDA’s strategic interventions have resulted in a tangible increase in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), NITDA has also played a pivotal role in developing ICT policies for several states, including Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Oyo, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto, and Yobe.

With over 300 executed projects nationwide, NITDA continues to spearhead the digital revolution in Nigeria. These projects include Digital Job Creation Centres, Digital Capacity Building Centres, eLearning facilities, Campus Wide Area Networks for tertiary institutions, and Virtual Libraries, among others, which are ensuring digital inclusion and technological advancement across the country.

NITDA has enhanced its commitment to education through the provision of the NITDEF Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme, and including lecturers from tertiary institutions as beneficiaries of its PhD Scholarship Programme. Again, the strategic alliances of the agency with select public and private universities further underscore NITDA’s dedication to in-country academic programs.

It is also gratifying that NITDA’s training programs for hundreds of youths in various ICT areas and entrepreneurship, coupled with initiatives like Start-up Nigeria, Start-up Friday, and Start-up Clinic, have collectively created numerous job opportunities, driving economic growth and self-employment.

In response to the rising threats of cyber-attacks, NITDA has significantly increased its cybersecurity campaign, raising awareness to mitigate risks and prevent data loss. Furthermore, the agency’s insistence on hosting significant government data locally, ensures compliance with local content policies and enhances data security.

In conclusion, NITDA’s multifaceted efforts are not just transforming Nigeria’s digital landscape but are also driving economic growth, job creation, and innovation through strategic planning, community engagement, and technological innovation. As the nation continues to embrace the digital age, NITDA stands at the forefront, orchestrating a digital revolution that promises a brighter, more connected future for all Nigerians.

Fom Gyem is a Staff Writer with Tech Digest gyemfom111@gmail.com

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TECHDIGEST- The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has urged Nigerian Tertiary institutions to produce quality graduates with requisite entrepreneurship skills in the field of Information Communication Technology to develop sophisticated tech product and services.

The NITDA Boss stated this at the 3rd day of the ongoing Digital Nigeria Conference in Abuja.

READALSO: Global Blockchain Market to Hit $39bn by 2025 – Kashifu Inuwa

Kashifu Inuwa said: “Today, we want to know how we can build our entrepreneurship capacity. The prosperity is not evenly distributed, so we need to engage more Nigerians in digital revolution.

“For instance, Lagos is contributing 1 quarter of Nigeria’s GDP and contributes to over 90% of tech ecosystems, so why can’t we build these percentages across every city.

“As much as we push forward partnering with local and international partners to train Nigerians in high digital skills, we hope our higher institutions will continue to produce the best knowledge because we need people to have digital technology knowledge to consume digital services”.

Founder Clintonel Innovation Center, Tochukwu Chukwueke, stressed the need for Nigeria to increase the number of its tech talents, to boost start-up innovation in the country.

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TECHDIGEST- The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Mal. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said that the Blockchain Adoption Strategy developed by their NITDA is to facilitate the effective utilisation of Blockchain technology, towards creating a virile digital economy.

He made this known at a panel session during the ongoing ‘2022 Digital Nigeria Conference Exhibition and Awards’ in Abuja.

READALSO: Global Blockchain Market to Hit $39bn by 2025 – Kashifu Inuwa

“The strategy outlines the roadmap and schemes for the adoption of Blockchain technology by the government in the digital transformation agenda; in a way that supports efficiency, transparency, and productivity,” Kashifu said.

According to him, humans have only witnessed the possibilities associated with virtual worlds in science fiction novels, for many years now.

He further revealed that Blockchain digital revolution has several possibilities with broad economic and social implications, saying: “It pushes for the emergence of digital transparency and integrity, leading to extensive changes in business models and governmental functions.

“Innovators are exploring ways to use blockchain technologies to disrupt and transform traditional process models. With its decentralized and trustless nature.

“Blockchain technology can lead to new opportunities and benefits industries through greater transparency, enhanced security, and easier traceability.

“Governments and businesses all over the world have begun to utilise the robust potential usability of Blockchain.

“NITDA is not left behind; we are inclined to employ our statutory responsibility towards innovative technologies to develop strategies for a healthy IT ecosystem that encapsulate emerging technology such as Blockchain”.

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TECHDIGEST- It is an honour and privilege to give a keynote speech at the 16th edition of Nigeria’s Blockchain & FutureTech Conference of Value and Innovation. The event presents a platform to discover how Blockchain, VR, AR, DeFI, GameFI, and NFTs with associated IoT and AI technology, are altering and disrupting incumbents – creating new opportunities for forward-thinking individuals, organisations and great nations.

The success of cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, NFTs, Metaverse, and Web3 is beginning to take over the industrial and financial space. With Blockchain Technology supporting these new-age concepts, we can expect that the future will belong to decentralised resources. The industry is growing in heaps and bounds, and we will likely see more path-breaking innovations soon.

READALSO: How FG Increased 4G Coverage from 23% to 77.52% – Pantami

After cryptocurrencies gained much traction, blockchain technology emerged as one of the most promising technologies to transform businesses. Today, many large and medium-sized enterprises are exploring the Blockchain’s potential to make a place in the competitive market. The global market for blockchain technology is expected to grow over USD 39 billion by 2025.

The NFT market alone is expected to continue growing as more and more things go from physical to digital. Blockchain is now at a point where large corporations and governments, not just a tiny hyper-technical community of IT experts, are starting to comprehend its potential to improve people’s lives and build more resilient organisations.

For many years, we have only witnessed the possibilities associated with virtual worlds in science fiction novels. Today, the metaverse concept has become a real phenomenon, with many popular platforms enjoying massive user bases. One of the significant aspects of the metaverse design is decentralisation, which would enable transparency and seamless access to the metaverse. Aside from decentralisation, metaverse also relies on blockchain capabilities for ensuring user governance privileges alongside verifiable provenance.

Undoubtedly, Blockchain digital revolution has several possibilities with broad economic and social implications. It pushes for the emergence of digital transparency and integrity, leading to extensive changes in business models and governmental functions. Hence, it will facilitate the development of the Nigerian digital economy by supporting our digital transformation agenda in a way that promotes efficiency, transparency, and productivity.

Innovators in various fields are maximising the benefits of this incredible technology; from medicine to agriculture, finance to governance, education to transport and across the global supply chain. Innovators are exploring ways to use blockchain technologies to disrupt and transform traditional process models. With its decentralised and trustless nature, Blockchain technology can lead to new opportunities and benefits industries through greater transparency, enhanced security, and easier traceability.

Governments and businesses all over the world have begun to utilise the robust potential usability of Blockchain. NITDA is not left behind; we are inclined to employ our statutory responsibility towards innovative technologies to develop strategies for a healthy IT ecosystem that encapsulate emerging technology such as Blockchain. At NITDA, we developed a Blockchain Adoption Strategy to facilitate the effective utilisation of Blockchain technology towards creating a digital economy. The strategy outlines the roadmap and schemes for the adoption of Blockchain technology by the government in the digital transformation agenda; in a way that supports efficiency, transparency, and productivity.

As this technology drives new business and service models, NITDA realises the need to deepen the adoption of this strategy to protect citizens and ensure fair markets while letting innovation and business flourish. As such, we are interested in fostering the healthy growth and safety of the nation’s digital economy through the right implementation strategy that would drive the adoption of the technology by both the public and private sectors. We are currently piloting the implementation blueprint in two federal government sectors and building a proof of concept (POC) on the implementation of the National Blockchain strategies.

In this regard, the Agency is creating a national infrastructure for the deployment of blockchain solutions in a government institution that integrates identity and incentive platforms, promotes research and development, in addition, focus on the skilling of the workforce, and create a procurement process to enable government agencies adopt blockchain solutions.

In the same vein, the Agency is taking steps to replicate and implement regulatory soundboxes that have been adopted by countries like the United Kingdom, India, Australia, Canada, and Denmark. Regulatory sandboxes will enable participants to test products and services on a small scale in a controlled environment, reducing innovation costs and barriers to entry. It also allows regulators to collect important information about innovative products before deciding which regulatory action to take. With this, Nigeria’s regulatory sandbox will facilitate the necessary dialogue between market participants and regulators to develop regulatory actions that strike the right balance between fostering innovation and mitigating new risks.

Through sustained engagement with stakeholders like you and many others, implementation of these regulatory guidelines would be enhanced and, in turn, would engender a conducive regulatory environment for all players in the digital economy to thrive and fulfil their potential for prosperity and national development.

NITDA believes that our youth must be trained and given the prerequisite skills to participate in the knowledge economy and create wealth for themselves and our nation. We opened APP-LAB Young Innovators Fellowship Program, which seeks to identify, mentor and train young Nigerians for free in Emerging Technology skills and match them with industry practitioners. To produce a team of developers who will become Technology Entrepreneurs for themselves and other companies in the nearest future. Thus, creating futuristic businesses and jobs in the IT Sector.

We also initiated start-up voucher programme to support viable business ideas for incubation in any technology hubs of their choice across Nigeria. In 2022 the Agency also launched iHatch Programme, which was designed to refine Nigerian entrepreneurs’ business model through mentoring, lectures and boot camps, and enable the creation of viable and scalable business models, hence, the result of an innovation-driven enterprise (IDEs). The overall goal of iHatch is to establish companies which are legally Incorporated under (CAC) by young Nigerians, produce minimum viable product (MVP) of their innovative ideas, establish the connection between start-ups and investors, enable NITDA to analyse the start-up ecosystem and take necessary actions to improve the ecosystem through government actions and incentives.

We are also currently working on a “Talent Gap Assessment” project. We believe talent is the people side of technology. In Africa, we cannot compete with the rest of the world in terms of hardware and any technology infrastructure, but when it comes to talent, we have a competitive edge over the rest of the world. We are interested in building talents because it’s one of the significant global challenges. NITDA is already working on the National Talent Strategy; training of 1 million developers in the next 18 months. We are also set to train world-class Blockchain developers with global standards.

As Nigeria moves to harness the potential of its digital economy through co-created regulations and provide enabling environment for growth, attraction and protection of investment in the sector, the recently passed Nigeria Startup Bill by National Assembly will help institutionalise legal frameworks that will enhance the development of start-ups easily, quickly and conveniently in the country.

Collaboration catalyses economic growth, wealth creation, and sustainable digital development. That is why we host Blockchain Technology Summit as part of Digital Nigeria 2022, bringing together Blockchain Technology enthusiasts from across the world with key decision makers in governments and private sectors, all under one roof!

Digital transformation provides developing economies new opportunities to improve industrial age infrastructure, draw on the vast knowledge spill-overs from the internet, take advantage of new markets offered by digital platforms and exploit production possibilities enabled by digital technologies. We seek the support of all of you gathered here today and the entire blockchain community to reap the full benefits of this technology to promote innovations, grow businesses, create jobs, entrench security, reliability, and transparency in process models across all verticals of our nation.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE
Director General NITDA

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TECH DIGEST – The recent events of the country have showcased clearly how the digital age is a pretty difficult one to manage. Many thanks to the very much information that is out there and can be assessed by a simple sign up. This has also indicated how much challenging the task before President Buhari has been and how his successor must be a proven digital savvy individual in order that there can be a transition between war against indiscipline and corruption and a need to get the buy-in of the young Nigerians and their quick and digital expectations. This I’m sure resonates with what any reasonable youths wants to see going forward.
It has not been a secret especially for those who follow up with me that I had since thrown up the #DigitalAgenda23, a cause which presents Dr Isa Ali Pantami, the current Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as being worthy of piloting the affairs of the nation by being Buhari’s successor or at least being a Vice to a southern candidate should the argument for rotational presidency become fruitful.
In today’s piece however, I am highlighting his technical competence at looking the part with regards to the needed ideology for the kind of leadership required to solve the much problems that have been clearly understood now and that President Muhammadu Buhari is trying to solve by first allowing a democratic identification of them and initiating many policies that would attempt to solve them but this surely requires someone who would consolidate on them and that person has to be digitally inclined thus our initiation of the #DigitalAgenda23.

For every society that truly wishes to progress, there has to be deliberate effort at employing visionary and critical thinking in the analysis of issues and the possible way forward and this has to be employed devoid of emotions and sentiments. For some of us who have always had interest in the public space for over 6 years now, we can say categorically that we understood the current happenings of the country to be related to the young people’s hunger of seeing one of theirs attain leadership status so there can be familiar conversations. What some of them don’t understand however is that nations go through processes of evolution and those processes have to always be appreciated too. President Buhari is the nexus between those stages and we do understand that now is the time for a digital political ideology even though that also has to be done with caution because power is usually negotiated for and not to be snatched.

Furthermore, even before the current protests and agitations, some of us have known and identified the need for a digital transition but found it hard to find an icon that could champion such until the coming of Dr Isa Ali Pantami as DG, NITDA when we noticed that a man had emerged who looked the part owing to his age, education, moral uprightness and digital awareness. We put him under the radar and observed him until he vindicated us by working hard enough to merit a ministerial position where he on assumption to duty immediately hit the ground running as is typical with the expectation of a digital mind. He immediately reengineered the ministry to conform to the expectations of a society that truly requires transformation into a 21st century one. At this point we birthed the #DigitalAgenda23 and it was high time every right-thinking Nigerian young person keys into it and equally flies with it.

At the last count, Dr Pantami had commissioned over 500 digital economy projects around the country in about 4 years and appeared more than willing to do much more. Again, there had been about 68,000 individuals who had been trained to acquire digital skills. The man then capped up all these with his willingness to identify young visionaries and catapult them to stardom as in the case of the cerebral 40 year old Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi whom succeeded Dr. Pantami as the DG of NITDA. You can clearly see how he is willing to create and expand a sort of dynasty of young men who he will not stop at ensuring they achieve much more technically and politically. While Dr Pantami has merited the leadership of the National Digital Agenda come 2023, the expectation is for his dynasty members to look to see to their emergence in different leadership cadres be it legislature or State executives.

Finally, I am using this medium to congratulate the Nigerian youths who now appear hungry for leadership and incidentally have one of them who has distinguished himself for the task and this leaves the only hurdle to be a proper mobilization of the youth constituency with a view to accepting the leadership of Dr Pantami as the driver of such movement. The agenda is however subject to engagements and conversations going forward and we are very much open to it. We shall soon open the conversation up and we encourage every youth who regard themselves as fit and worthy of leadership to present themselves so we can all form a formidable team for the actualization of a progressive digital Nigeria through #DigitalAgenda23.

Hashim Suleiman can be reached via oneheartnaija@yahoo.com

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