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DG NITDA says Nigeria Charts Path Toward Sustainable Digital Future
Nigeria is charting an ambitious path towards a sustainable digital future anchored on innovation, inclusivity, and resilience, a vision that lies at the core of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on reforming the economy for sustainable growth, enhancing infrastructure, accelerating diversification through digitalisation and innovation, and strengthening governance for efficient service delivery.
This was the central message in a keynote address delivered by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), at the NORDIC Nigeria Connect 2025 held in Lagos.
Speaking on the theme “Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure Ambition and Path to Sustainability,” Inuwa stated that Nigeria’s digital ambition transcends the physical construction of data centers or the laying of fiber-optic cables, it is about designing and building a new societal fabric, a new economic operating system for Nigeria founded on inclusivity, resilience, security, and digital prosperity.
Inuwa explained that the nation’s digital vision rests on two key components: the Shared Digital Backbone and the Operational Backbone. The Shared Digital Backbone represents the hardware layer — including terrestrial fiber optics, subsea cables, green data centers, and sovereign cloud services that secure Nigeria’s data and ensure digital sovereignty.
The Operational Backbone, which forms the software layer, refers to Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — a suite of interoperable systems that include digital identity, payment frameworks, and secure data exchange platforms. Together, they create a unified national digital ecosystem that empowers startups to develop homegrown solutions tailored to Nigeria’s unique socio-economic context.
Citing the recent global cloud outage experienced by Amazon Web Services (AWS), which disrupted digital operations across several African nations, he stressed the importance of digital independence.
“This incident reminds us that relying solely on foreign cloud regions does not ensure business continuity or digital independence. We must build the capacity for digital self-determination,” he asserted.
Inuwa noted that achieving Nigeria’s digital ambition requires more than technology, it demands strong, forward-looking policies that encourage innovation while safeguarding consumers.
Outlining Nigeria’s path to sustainability, Inuwa identified three foundational pillars: Policy, People, and Partnerships.
Under the Policy Pillar, he explained that Nigeria is building a predictable, pro-innovation regulatory environment that fosters growth and investor confidence. Through the Nigeria Startup Act and Data Protection Act, the government has laid the groundwork for a stable digital market that safeguards rights while encouraging innovation.
On the People Pillar, he noted that no infrastructure can thrive without the human talent to sustain it. Through the National Digital Literacy Framework and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, Nigeria is building a self-sustaining talent engine that empowers citizens to design, innovate, and drive the country’s digital future.
Under the Partnership Pillar, Inuwa reiterated the need for strategic collaboration with global partners. He highlighted that Nigeria is moving from ad-hoc relationships to structured partnerships that promote joint ventures, attract investment, and co-develop technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He revealed several major projects that are transforming this ambition into action. On infrastructure, the Project BRIDGE initiative is expanding Nigeria’s terrestrial fibre network to 125,000 kilometres through public-private partnerships, while the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative is fostering a competitive data storage ecosystem within Nigerian jurisdiction.
On the software side, the Nigeria Stack is driving nationwide digital identity, payments, and data exchange systems, while the OneGOV platform will unify all government services under a single digital window.
He also cited ongoing efforts at the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), which is leading applied AI innovation through initiatives like the AI Collective and N-ATLAS, Nigeria’s indigenous large language model project.
He further called for greater collaboration within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and stronger international partnerships, and particularly identified the Nordic region as a key ally in Nigeria’s digital journey, citing opportunities to leverage Nordic expertise in technology and innovation while offering Nigeria’s vast talent pool and creative potential in return.
Inuwa reaffirmed that Nigeria’s digital transformation rests on three foundational pillars: robust digital infrastructure, human capital development, and strategic partnerships.
“With clear vision, deliberate strategy, and inclusive policy frameworks, we are confident that Nigeria will not only achieve digital sustainability — we will lead Africa’s digital transformation,” he declared.
Atte Ayodeji, a Nigerian computer scientist,has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of detecting, counting, grouping and generating healthy hair follicles during hair transplant procedures, an innovation that earned him the Best Innovative Technology award.
Atte Ayodeji
Ayodeji also graduated with a Distinction in his Master of Science (MSc) in Computer Science from Birmingham City University on Friday, adding another milestone to an impressive academic year.
Beyond his award-winning hair transplant innovation, the Nigerian researcher developed a system and framework on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) as a professional responsibility in the diagnosis of lung cancer.
His dissertation received a silver award at the PGXPO2026 Winter, further highlighting the impact of his research in applying artificial intelligence to healthcare.
Sunday Dare, special adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Tinubu, celebrated Ayodeji’s achievements in a post on X, recalling how he first met him in 2019 during his National Youth Service.
“In 2019 when I became a Minister of the Republic, I met a young man of medium height, genteel with penetrating eyes: Atte Ayodeji. His words rarely come out and he could easily be passed by unnoticed. But I noticed him especially when my SA Kemi Areola brought him to me asking my approval for him to do his Youth Service in my office. I approved. From then on he was unstoppable. His brilliance shown and he developed skills beyond his frame.”
Highlighting Ayodeji’s recent accomplishments, Dare congratulated him saying, “Congratulations Atte. I am proud of you!”
Mr. Joseph Tegbe, minister of Power, has said that the federal government plans to end power sector subsidies from 2027 and that there are no immediate plans for tariff increases.
Mr. Joseph Tegbe, minister of Power
The minister told journalists during the media interactive session at the weekend that the government has announced plans to phase out electricity subsidy payments from 2027 as part of efforts to address mounting liabilities in the power sector.
He explained that the planned removal forms part of the broader reforms aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of the electricity sector, while tackling the financial challenges confronting the industry.
According to the minister, despite the planned subsidy withdrawal, there are no immediate plans to increase electricity tariffs, reassuring consumers that the government is not considering a tariff hike in the short term.
Patience Okala, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead focus on adding value to its natural resources if it is to fully harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She stated this on Thursday at the Streamsowers & Köhn 20th Anniversary Business Forum, where she stressed that value addition and beneficiation are essential to Africa’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, she said the AfCFTA goes beyond the elimination of tariffs, serving as a framework for industrialisation, value addition, and job creation across the continent.
“AfCFTA is not only about tariffs; it is also about value addition. Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent,” she said.
Okala also said Africa’s economic transformation would depend on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA rather than on the signing of trade agreements alone.
“We have moved beyond negotiations. The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders, and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement,” she said.
She noted that Nigeria had intensified efforts to implement the agreement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, including the development of simplified AfCFTA guides in six languages to help businesses understand and take advantage of opportunities under the trade pact.
Okala called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to eliminate barriers to trade and investment and build a truly integrated African market.
“As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent,” she said.
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