Nigeria is seeking stronger international partnerships and strategic investments to accelerate digital transformation, strengthen its technology ecosystem and position the country as a competitive destination for global technology investment.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, made the case during a high-level engagement convened by the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue.
The engagement brought together senior government officials, diplomats, technology executives, investors and digital policy experts to examine how trusted technology, strategic partnerships and international cooperation can support digital transformation and economic development.
Discussions focused on key areas including Artificial Intelligence (AI), trusted digital infrastructure, connectivity, investment, digital skills, emerging technologies and the growing role of technology diplomacy in strengthening national competitiveness.
Abdullahi highlighted Nigeria’s youthful population, expanding digital ecosystem and evolving regulatory environment as important assets that could help the country move beyond being a consumer of technology to becoming a creator, strategic partner and competitive investment destination.
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He also stressed the importance of translating international engagements into concrete partnerships capable of delivering measurable outcomes.
According to the NITDA chief, greater collaboration is required to mobilise investment for critical digital infrastructure, strengthen local technological capabilities, expand accessto international technology markets and ensurethat emerging technologies contribute to employment, productivity and inclusive economic growth.
The engagement featured representatives of the United States Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Google, Intel, Visa, ServiceNow, IREX, APTelecom, Africell, Cybastion, the United States Telecommunications Training Institute and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue.
Senior African government and diplomatic representatives also participated in the discussions, reflecting the increasing importance of cross-border cooperation in advancing technology and digital development.
For NITDA, the discussions underscored the importance of international cooperation to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
The Agency noted that building a globally competitive digital economy requires an ecosystem that brings together effective policy, technology, infrastructure, capital, talent and access to markets.
NITDA said it would continue to pursue international partnerships aimed at advancing Nigeria’s digital priorities, with emphasis on attracting investment, facilitating knowledge transfer, developing local capacity, opening market opportunities and generating sustainable economic value for Nigerians.
