Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco International for the adoption of smart solutions to boost socio-economic growth and provide solutions to challenges facing the country.
The partnership is aimed at unlocking the value of digitalisation in the country and driving inclusiveness.
The MoU was signed at the headquarters of NITDA in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, by the Director-General of NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa, and the Country Director of CISCO, Mr. Clayton Naidoo.
The MoU focuses on four initiatives, which include repurposing NCAIR to create an Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Experience and Incubation Centre; establishing a Broadband Innovation Centre; setting up a Smart Agriculture Demo Farm; designing and deploying Technology Learning Hubs; and incubating Defence Technology Solutions.
Inuwa affirmed that the MoU would accelerate the process of delivering digital services to Nigerians through agriculture, education, health, and other social services.
He stated President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda prioritises in delivering digital services through technological solutions, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and drones, to solve Nigeria’s critical problems.
On Smart Agriculture, the Director-general of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa said the MoU would facilitate the adoption of digital technologies and solutions for the irrigation of 500,000 farmlands in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to boost food security and improve productivity in the Agriculture sector in Nigeria.
“We already have a demo farm in Abuja Technology Village we are going to design and make it more efficient to use technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (A)Drones and other technology to boost creativity in agriculture. This farm will prove to Nigerians that technology can help accelerate productivity in Agriculture” he said.
Inuwa enlightened that the upgrade of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics ( NCAIR) would be upgraded ‘‘to have a world-class Lab as well as to use cybersecurity in securing Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems.”
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“The Building of Broadband Innovation Hubs would help the country to achieve a target of 95%broadband coverage in Nigeria.The Hub is to help encourage local startups and companies to come up with affordable broadband solutions in Nigeria using cutting-edge technologies.”
He said Cisco would establish a cutting-edge learning center in Maiduguri, Borno State, to empower Nigerians to harness Artificial Intelligence and technology solutions to drive business growth and innovation.
“Cisco is working within Maiduguri, Borno state, with IOL for a pilot project to deploy three learning to develop a learning Centre for Nigerians using Cisco technology.
“This partnership would scale up the initiative because we also have as part of our mandate to deploy this technology in unserved and underserved communities,’’ the NITDA Boss stated.
The Country Director of CISCO, Naidoo said Nigeria would benefit from the MoU as it would improve agricultural production, create job opportunities, and empower the citizens to become self sufficient .
He maintained that Cisco has been involved with various governments in Africa and America to create innovation hubs, stressing that in Nigeria technology experience centres would be created to boost security services and business units.
Naidoo added that his organisation would create inclusive modules that would empower local communities in Nigeria as well as make them benefit from various job opportunities in the digital services sector and other related sectors.
The Cisco team were taken on tour to a demo farm in Abuja Technology Village, Galaxy Backbone, a Digital Infrastructure and Services Company of the Federal Government among other facilities.
