Bukola Afeni
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said Nigeria has the potential to be the best in the ICT sector.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashim Inuwa, stated this at a Breakfast Meeting /Parley with Journalists in Abuja.
He disclosed this while articulating NITDA vision in a comprehensive address, emphasizing the transformative potential of digital literacy and advanced technology research for the nation.
The DG noted that Nigeria can replicate and surpass India’s achievements in technology sector.
Inuwa said: “India started this journey 20 years ago, and today, nearly 25% of ICT executives in major tech companies are Indian. Nigeria has a younger, faster-growing population, and a more favorable time zone. We believe we can beat India hands down when it comes to technology.”
He said to make the vision a reality, the agency conducted a research titled “Nigerian Brain Export: The Optimal Path to Developing the Nigerian Economy.”
According to Inuwa, “Training people who then work abroad will not only bring remittances but also facilitate knowledge transfer back home, helping our local ecosystem to grow.”
NITDA also launched a series of initiatives aimed at positioning the country as a global tech hub.
Inuwa said: “In our effort to identify skills in high demand both locally and globally, we discovered 12 key tech skills. This insight led to the design of the national 3 Million Tech Talents initiative, where we aim to train three million Nigerians in these high-demand tech areas.”
He underscored that this initiative would not only serve the local market but also create opportunities for Nigerians to secure jobs globally.
“Some may call it brain drain, but we see it as brain export. When these trained professionals go abroad, they will send remittances back home, fostering economic growth,” he said
Inuwa emphasised the need for a robust technology research ecosystem and anounced plans to focus on six critical technology areas which include: Artificial intelligence, Internet of Thing(IoT), Policy implementation, Inclusivity, Cybersecurity and Promoting an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Director General also emphasised the need for collaboration and partnerships, he said: “No one succeeds in isolation. We are partnering with global players like Cisco, JICA, USAID, and USDA to foster technology transfer and knowledge sharing.”
“We need to be at par with technology providers to regulate effectively. At NITDA, we have embraced a paperless, digital-first approach, significantly boosting our productivity. This model can be extended to other government agencies,” he explained.
Inuwa urged the media to advocate for and guide citizens on how to benefit from the laudable initiatives. Together, we can achieve a lot,” he added.
The Director Cooperate Planning and Strategic Development, Dr Aristotle Onumo, said in line with the federal government 8 point agenda of reforming the economy to delivering effective service for the Nation.
“The agency came up with a semi action plan, this which is connected and divided into 8 priority areas or 8 points of excellence”, he said.
The Director of Corporate Affairs External Relations Unit, Mrs Hadiza Umar, said the event is to strengthen the relationship that exist between NITDA and media friends.