By Joy Onuorah
When you light up a rural village with solar power and pair it with internet access, something remarkable happens: ideas begin to thrive, incomes rise, and local life transforms.
That’s the bold path Nigeria is charting, led by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA.
At the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C., Inuwa declared that clean energy isn’t the goal, it’s the catalyst for digital inclusion and economic empowerment.
“Renewable energy is not the destination. It is a catalyst when there is power, connectivity follows, and that connectivity triggers true transformation,” he said.
He painted this picture: A farmer uses an app backed by solar-powered network to boost yield, pay for school, hire help.
A young person in a village toggles into a global gig economy via remote internet, no need to migrate to Lagos.
“A farmer equipped with a simple app can double his income, send his child to school, and employ others. A young person with internet access doesn’t need to migrate to Abuja or Lagos—he can work from his village and earn in dollars,” he noted.
Inuwa tied these efforts to Nigeria’s broader digital economy strategy under the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” stressing that NITDA’s work spans digital literacy, cybersecurity, research, innovation and partnerships.
Why this matters for Nigerians
Rural areas: Historically sidelined by unreliable power and weak connectivity.
Clean energy + broadband: Unlocks agriculture, remote work, women-led enterprises.
The result will be growth that spreads beyond cities, inclusive by design.
Ultimately, Nigeria’s push isn’t just about more gadgets, it’s about more lives, more possibility and more dignity for people far from the spotlight.
