In the quest to elevate Northern Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is taking decisive steps under the leadership of Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
The agency’s commitment to nurturing innovation and creativity in the region is setting the stage for a technological renaissance that promises economic growth and development.
During a key stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, Inuwa highlighted the need for urgent action to support the Northern innovation ecosystem. He emphasized the importance of building strategic partnerships to overcome challenges and seize opportunities in the tech sector.
“This platform has spurred the necessary conversations to tackle some of the bottlenecks that have stifled the growth of the ecosystem in the region,” Inuwa stated, aligning the discussions with the Federal Government’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priority areas.
Inuwa’s vision for the Northern Innovation Ecosystem is to leverage it as a tool for job creation and addressing regional challenges. He pointed out the demographic advantage of the North, with a large youth population ready to embrace digital innovation.
“In the North and Nigeria in general, our biggest opportunity is the large market and expansion we have, because we have a young population where more than 60% is under 25, which means they are digitally natives”.
“Given the fact that our greatest resource as a country is human capital, we therefore, want to harness this population to make Nigeria a talent net exporter”, the DG said.
Further, NITDA’s strategic initiatives, including the establishment of Technology Development Zones and innovation hubs, aim to democratize access to technological resources and foster a competitive environment for growth.
Inuwa urged Northerners not to let challenges hinder their innovative spirit, advocating for creative problem-solving and resourcefulness. NITDA’s plans to build innovation hubs outside universities and establish partnerships with ecosystem stakeholders aim to democratize access to technological resources and foster a competitive environment.
In his words; “Lack of funding is always one of the issues, yes, but we can start with the small we have. It is not enough to always mention the challenges, let us also look for innovative ways to tackle them.”
*Galvanizing Action for Sustainable Development
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports NITDA’s efforts, with Jamila Mohammed, Head of Experimentation, emphasizing the importance of collaborative action to position the ecosystem for addressing developmental challenges.
Ms. Jamila stated; “There is a need for us to pull all our resources together to be able to position the resource system to accelerate the SDGs, because we know we are far behind in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and there is that urgency to be able to come up with new methodologies, and solutions that will take us to that promised land.”
More so, the Northern Ecosystem Working Group (NEW-G), established in collaboration with UNDP, serves as a significant platform for nurturing and fueling the region’s tech emergence with strategic initiatives.
NITDA’s commitment to growing the Northern innovation ecosystem is a beacon of hope for a prosperous future. By leveraging technology, strategic partnerships, and the region’s youthful demographic, Northern Nigeria is poised to become a powerhouse of innovation, driving sustainable development and economic growth.
