NITDA Director-General Urges Tech Collaboration to Unlock Africa’s Potential

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has urged experts and startups in the technology ecosystem to collaborate with the government in co-creating robust regulations that will drive human and infrastructure development and unlock Africa’s vast potential for sustainable growth.

Inuwa made this call at the second edition of the annual Moonshot Tech Conference 2024, which brought together leading minds in the African tech space at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

In his presentation titled “Building Digital Economies for the World: How African Countries are Shaping their Tech Economies to Compete Across the Continent and Globally,” Inuwa emphasized the importance of balancing innovation with regulation, explaining that innovation turns ideas into impactful solutions, but regulation provides the guardrails for stability.

He stated, “At NITDA, we developed an intelligent regulatory framework to understand the terrain before placing regulations. This approach allows us to grasp the value you’re bringing to the market and remain dynamic, giving room for people to navigate.”

Also Read: NITDA Director-General Calls for Collaborative Tech Development in Africa

Inuwa highlighted the critical role of collaboration between governments and the private sector to unlock Africa’s human capital. He cited a World Bank report predicting an 85 million talent deficit globally by 2030, with an unrealized annual value of $8.5 trillion if this gap is left unaddressed.

 “Africa, with its young population, can harness this potential and position itself as the global talent factory to bridge this gap,” he said.

He also stressed the need for African governments to educate their populations on the tech ecosystem’s ability to solve both local and global challenges. Inuwa referenced Nigeria’s Startup Act, co-created with the tech ecosystem to encourage venture capital, establish innovation hubs, and form a council to promote local investments.

To bolster Africa’s digital economy, Inuwa advocated for building digital infrastructure that would facilitate content sharing within Africa and foster cross-border data flow.

Other panellists who contributed insights alongside Inuwa included Dr. Augustina Odame, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Technology; David Manley, Chief Advisor on Technology for Sierra Leone; and Marieme Kane, Director of Innovation at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Mauritania.