By Joy Onuorah
Technology isn’t good or bad. It just listens to who’s holding the mic.
That’s the quiet truth many people overlook when they talk about the role of tech in development. But Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), didn’t miss a beat when he said it plainly:
“Technology is a tool, it all depends on how we use it.”
He made this powerful point during a virtual panel titled “Culture and Innovation: The Changing Landscape and Technoculture”, organised by the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, in partnership with NESG and UNESCO.
The heart of his message is that Nigeria can harness technology to protect its culture while also fuelling economic growth, if we use it right.
Represented by Barrister Emmanuel Edet, Inuwa painted a clear picture of how innovation, creativity, and culture don’t have to compete, they can collaborate.
But only when we see tech for what it truly is: neutral. Not inherently good or evil. Not just shiny gadgets or social media trends. Just a tool.
He mentioned tools like Figma, Canva, and CorelDRAW, the same ones creatives use daily which now come powered by AI.
According to him, the goal is to empower more Nigerians with the digital skills to use these tools for real impact.
“NITDA has established digital learning centres across the country and launched the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR),” Inuwa shared.
These centres are focused on hands-on education in emerging tech, helping young Nigerians create, not just consume.
But it doesn’t stop there.
He unveiled Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, built to push the country to the frontlines of artificial intelligence adoption. The framework leans heavily on social inclusion, innovation, and efficiency with intellectual property rights at the core.
And for creators, there’s even more. “We launched a National Blockchain Policy that allows artists and creatives to tokenise their works,” he said.
That means music, films, and art can be protected from piracy and traced back to their original creators ensuring proof of ownership and fair earnings.
If you’ve ever worried that tech would erase culture or replace creativity, this summit offered a different perspective: maybe it’s the bridge we’ve needed all along.
As Mr. Ibrahim Suleiman from the Ministry of Arts and Culture rightly put it, the session offered a chance for stakeholders to shape Nigeria’s cultural future with intention.
The bottom line is that tech is already changing the world. The real question is, what are we doing with it?
