In a pivotal move to accelerate Nigeria’s digital future, Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), emphasized the imperative of fostering digital trust and implementing global standards to bolster the nation’s digitization policies.
Speaking at a groundbreaking Digital Policy workshop organized by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in Abuja, Inuwa underscored NITDA’s crucial role in setting digital transformation standards. He highlighted the timely collaboration between NITDA, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the British Government, aimed at bolstering digital trust and fostering widespread adoption of digital technologies within Nigeria.
Inuwa stated; “In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate to diversify Nigeria’s economy through technological innovation. The Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, led by Dr. Bosun Tijani, unveiled a strategic plan with five pivotal pillars.”
Elaborating on these pillars—Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Innovation (Entrepreneurship & Capital), and Trade—Inuwa affirmed NITDA’s commitment to crafting an eight-pillar Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan. He emphasized the agency’s dedication to fostering digital trust across the board, ensuring safe and responsible utilization of digital services.
“To fulfill this goal,” Inuwa emphasized, “we require international collaboration to develop standards for the Nigerian Digital Public Infrastructure and create solutions with global market value while remaining indigenous.”
In addressing Nigeria’s challenges, particularly in e-commerce and online transactions impacting trust, Inuwa highlighted the potential for the adoption of international standards to restore confidence in digital transactions.
He added; “With established digital trust, we envision automated transactions and electronically generated invoices—a transformation not achievable at a local level, necessitating partnerships with key players like SON and international bodies like BSI.”
The workshop, commended by Dr. Nigel Croft, Team Lead of the British Standards Institution (BSI), aims to provide training sessions post-event for Nigeria’s standards sector stakeholders, aligning standards with global best practices.
During the workshop’s presentations, NITDA shared insights on “Key opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s digitization initiatives,” led by Barr Emmanuel Edet, the Acting Director of Standard Guidelines and Framework Department, NITDA. Representatives from the British Standards Institution and Standard Organisation of Nigeria also made impactful presentations.
The roundtable discussion enabled participants to exchange experiences, discussing challenges in digitization, global value chain entry opportunities, and transforming public services through international standards.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the event’s conclusions and recommendations would guide future strategies to realize the anticipated benefits of Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
