The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the United States to achieve a secure, trusted, and resilient digital ecosystem by focusing on data privacy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and capacity building in the country.
Inuwa gave this assurance during his address at the Nigeria Data Privacy Capacity Building Workshop organised by the United States Department of State, in collaboration with the Nigerian Mission and relevant stakeholders in the digital ecosystem.
The NITDA boss described the workshop as a strong revalidation of the long-standing partnership between Nigeria and the United States in advancing the country’s technical and digital systems.
According to him, the collaboration is not a new initiative but part of a growing and deliberate effort by both countries to jointly address emerging digital challenges and opportunities.
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Inuwa recalled that in April 2024, Nigeria and the United States, through the U.S–Nigeria Binational Commission, agreed to work together on key areas including data privacy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, capacity building, and other aspects of digital development.
He further noted that in the same year the Nigerian Government and the U.S. Mission in Nigeria co-hosted an Artificial Intelligence Conference in the country even as Nigeria engaged with U.S. cybersecurity companies to explore partnerships aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s technical ecosystem.
The Director-General maintained that NITDA’s emphasis on data privacy, AI, cybersecurity, and policy was anchored on one central objective: building trust in the digital ecosystem, adding that trust is a critical enabler of digital transformation, as its absence slows down innovation and increases costs, while its presence accelerates progress and reduces barriers to growth.
Inuwa, who stressed that building a prosperous digital economy required deliberate efforts to safeguard data privacy, strengthen security frameworks, and deploy AI responsibly, noted that AI relied on data, data demanded privacy and that privacy can only be guaranteed through strong security, making it impossible to address these issues in isolation.
Inuwa described the workshop as the beginning of broader engagements and deeper collaboration in other strategic areas, particularly as Nigeria continues to position itself as a key player in the global digital economy.
He hinted that following the participation of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Conference last year, plans were being made by NITDA to expand the conference into an international cybersecurity platform this year.
According to him, the international conference will provide an opportunity for U.S. cybersecurity companies to showcase their technologies, explore partnerships with Nigerian firms developing local cyber solutions, and jointly strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
Inuwa also reassured partners and stakeholders of NITDA’s commitment to building the right policies and enabling environment for innovation to thrive, adding that Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), represents the next frontier of the digital economy, driven by a young, digital-native population and a large, expanding market.
He pointed out that while many public and private sector organisations in Nigeria continued to rely on U.S. technologies to build their digital systems, the country also could boast of huge local talent capability of developing homegrown solutions to address national and regional challenges.
While assuring that NITDA remains committed to working with international partners to build local capacity and promote Nigeria’s digital self-determination, the Director-General maintained that digital technology was no longer optional, as it represented the hub for future of economic growth and development, and no nation can afford to be left behind.
Inuwa stressed that the only way to fully harness the opportunities of the AI revolution would be by safeguarding privacy, establishing sound policies, and laying a strong digital foundation capable of supporting rapid technological advancement.
