The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, has said the growing interest from global technology companies such as Microsoft and Google is a clear reflection of Nigeria’s accelerating digital momentum under the current administration.
Mr. Inuwa made this statement during a keynote address at a two-day interactive session on Government-Citizens Engagement, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at the historic Arewa House in Kaduna.
Themed ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government Engagement for National Unity,’ the event brought together key figures from government, civil society, academia, and the policy space to assess the progress of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in relation to inclusive governance and technology-driven national development.
Google and Microsoft have reportedly invested in Nigeria to advance artificial intelligence development. Google is said to have committed $37m to support AI skills training, startups, infrastructure, and partnerships with the Nigerian government.
Microsoft has reportedly pledged $1m to train one million Nigerians in AI by 2026, while also promoting cloud adoption and digital growth.
According to Inuwa, digital transformation is not only foundational to achieving the eight-point agenda outlined by President Tinubu but also crucial for uniting the country through equitable access to technology and opportunity.
“Digital technology is not a vertical sector; it is pervasive and foundational,” Inuwa said in a statement to The PUNCH. “It powers everything else and provides a framework for inclusive growth.”
He noted that the Federal Government’s digital strategy is anchored on three main pillars: human capital development, digital infrastructure, and innovation-driven entrepreneurship. These, he said, are central to building a future-ready Nigeria.
On human capital, the NITDA boss stressed that the nation’s greatest resource remains its people, and scaling digital skills is key to unlocking their potential. He cited programmes such as the 3 Million Technical Talent initiative and the Digital Literacy for All campaign, which have already trained over 350,000 people in Northern Nigeria since 2023.
“Our goal is to ensure that by 2027, at least 70 per cent of Nigerians have attained basic digital literacy,” Mr. Inuwa said.
To meet this goal, NITDA is working with the Federal Ministry of Education to embed digital skills from early childhood education through tertiary institutions. The agency is also collaborating with the National Universities Commission to include digital literacy in the general studies curriculum across Nigerian universities.
Furthermore, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA has partnered with the National Youth Service Corps to train corps members, who will serve as digital ambassadors, promoting technology skills in rural and underserved areas.
In terms of infrastructure, the Federal Government has approved the deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables nationwide to expand broadband access, a move the NITDA DG said will ensure no community is left behind in the digital revolution.
He added that three digital centres are being constructed in each state to address the digital divide and enable meaningful participation in the digital economy. So far, 13 IT Community Centres, 101 Digital Economy E-Learning Centres, and one Cybersecurity Research Centre have been established within the last two years.
Mr. Inuwa said the momentum created by reforms under President Tinubu’s administration has sparked renewed investor confidence, with major tech players increasing their footprint in Nigeria.
“We are seeing increased investments from companies like Microsoft and Google because they recognise the direction Nigeria is headed. These investments are a direct result of the enabling environment created by this government’s policies,” he said.
He also announced that Nigeria would host two major global technology events in the coming months: GITEX Nigeria in September and the United Nations’ International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance Summit in November. Both events are expected to draw leading global innovators, investors, and policymakers.
