In a dynamic move aimed at advancing inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services, the director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi has called for substantial investment in information and communication technology (ICT).
The objective is to fortify the nation’s economy through the integration of digital technologies, thereby laying the groundwork for technological advancement.
Abdullahi conveyed this imperative during a meeting with Ms. Edosio Uyoyo and Traore Toho Syevie, a delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB) hosted at the agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja. The delegation provided insights into various initiatives implemented by the bank, sparking a discussion on the pivotal role of ICT in a country’s development.
During the meeting, Abdullahi underscored the instrumental role of ICT in creating opportunities, enhancing service delivery, fostering job creation, improving security and revolutionising conventional approaches. He further highlighted NITDA’s commitment to this cause, unveiling plans to construct additional digital public infrastructure (DPI) and develop tailored modalities to swiftly meet the nation’s requirements, ensuring accessible digital services for citizens nationwide.
Providing deeper insights into NITDA’s strategic direction, Abdullahi referenced the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2024-2027) 2.0. The plan is structured around eight pillars, including fostering digital literacy and cultivating talents, building a robust technology research ecosystem, strengthening policy implementation and legal frameworks, promoting inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services, enhancing cybersecurity and digital trust, nurturing an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem, forging strategic partnerships and collaborations, and cultivating a vibrant organisational culture with an agile workforce.
He highlighted that the agency’s Strategic Roadmap aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s redefined priorities to “Accelerate Diversification through Industrialisation, Digitisation and Innovation”.
The principal ICT and innovation expert from the African Development Bank, Ms. Edosio Uyoyo commended NITDA’s impactful initiatives and programmes across the country. She acknowledged their transformative effects on operational efficiency and service delivery. Uyoyo disclosed the bank’s existing framework covering the period from 2020 to 2024 and expressed the need for completion reports to guide future initiatives from 2025 to 2029.
“We are here for the completion reports to guide us towards planning for the next initiative of a four-year plan from 2025-2029. We want to know and understand key areas you are focusing on, and we need the bank to prioritise support to meet ambitious targets at the end of the project time frame,” she stated.
