The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed readiness to strengthen collaboration with Nigerian universities to advance research and develop technology-driven solutions to local challenges across various sectors.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, stated this when the management of Yakubu Gowon University (UniAbuja), led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a familiarisation visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Abdullahi said closer collaboration between NITDA, universities and other tertiary institutions was essential to building a strong innovation ecosystem, developing practical skills and positioning Nigeria for technology-driven growth.
He stressed the need for increased investment in academic research, particularly in emerging technologies, to support inclusive economic development and address challenges confronting the country.
“We need to invest more in in-depth research with universities to build a robust research ecosystem that will help us develop solutions. Research will focus on harnessing AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud technology, among other emerging technologies, to improve our lives and grow our digital economy,” he said.
The NITDA director-general described universities as critical to the agency’s efforts to build the human capital required to achieve Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.
“NITDA has a vision to make Nigeria a digitally empowered nation. You (UniAbuja) are the talent factory, and we cannot achieve our vision without talented Nigerians. The only way to achieve that is working with institutions like yours. So, we need to build talent,” he said.
Abdullahi also called for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into tertiary education, arguing that students across disciplines should acquire basic knowledge and practical skills in the technology.
“We can work together to explore ways of introducing AI across the board as a general study course in tertiary institutions. Elements of AI should be included in every field of study to equip our students with the hands-on skills for navigating the real world,” he said.
He disclosed that NITDA was already collaborating with key education sector institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education, on initiatives aimed at strengthening digital education.
According to him, the agency is also pursuing efforts to integrate digital literacy programmes into curricula across all levels of education to improve graduates’ preparedness for the labour market and strengthen their relevance to industry.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Fawehinmi, said the delegation visited NITDA to seek partnership and support for improving the university’s digital infrastructure and strengthening technology-based training.
Fawehinmi expressed appreciation for NITDA’s contributions to the institution’s Digital Geoscience Centre, describing the agency’s support as valuable to the university’s digital development efforts.
He said the university was prepared to collaborate with NITDA on joint research projects, capacity-building programmes and innovation initiatives aligned with the agency’s mandate of using technology to promote socio-economic development.
“We could go into partnership with you to provide data, collaborative engagements, staff exchanges and joint research hubs, so that we can produce high-level human resources.
“The university is committed to serving as a strategic academic partner to NITDA by providing the academic expertise required to advance your national digital transformation initiatives,” Fawehinmi said.
The proposed collaboration is expected to deepen links between academia and the technology sector, while creating opportunities for joint research, knowledge exchange and the development of digital skills required to support Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
