NITDA Leading Africa’s Digital Economy Drive – Foreign Visitors
A Director in the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, ZICTA, Mr. Austin Sichinga, has identified the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, as the only government agency leading Africa’s technological growth and digital economy actualization.
Sichinga, disclosed this when he led a working delegation from ZICTA, to understudy NITDA and its activities, in Abuja.
The Information Communication Technology, ICT, expert noted that NITDA has taken a lot of steps in making the Nigerian ICT industry a model for other African nations.
“Truly, NITDA has leapfrogged most African institutions that are into technology development in the continent. We have seen and acknowledged NITDA’s development efforts in supporting ICT start-ups, and imparting relevant ICT skills on young minds.
“The agency has tremendously done well in terms of investing heavily in technology disruption in the Nigerian agricultural sector,” he said.
According to Sichinga, their delegation is in Nigeria to learn how their agency will also develop indigenous ICT technology for Zambia’s national progress, the way NITDA has been doing for Nigeria.
“There is a lot to be learnt from Nigeria, who has been on this path. And indeed, our mission to Nigeria is about learning from Nigeria on utilizing public infrastructure to promote and secure transactions in service delivery, on the digital platform,” he said.
Responding, Mall. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of NITDA, underscored the need for African governments to forge a united front in achieving a strong digital economy for the continent.
He revealed that the Zambian delegation is the fourth to visit NITDA’s corporate office this year, after officials from Ghana, Kenya, and The Gambia, also visited their agency to study how they are driving technological development for Nigeria.
“This means that people even from outside the country appreciate the modest efforts we have been putting to transform Nigeria’s digital economy space. But the thing is, every country needs to attain digital sovereignty. Countries who are digitally independent will have the capacity to develop local technologies for their citizens’ consumption”.
NITDA in recent times has rejuvenated working environment that conforms to 21st century ICT compliance and. Apart from several tertiary institutions, NITDA also supported the establishment of over 7000 digital Economy Centres spread across in various communities and secondary schools across the federation.
One of the NITDA’s special purpose vehicle and state-of-the-art facility, that attracted international visitors for study tour is National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) that promotes research on and development of emerging technologies and their practical applications in areas of Nigerian national interest. The centre is focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Drones, Internet of Things (IoT), and other emerging technologies.
With modern digital fabrication laboratory (FabLab), the centre hosts bootcamps for young children to make them conversant with emerging technologies. It also trains kids on Artificial Intelligence, coding, digital communication, robotics and drones, embedded system and IOT,
virtual reality and 3D printing.
Foreign organisations are also fascinated with the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) another special purpose vehicle (SPV) of NITDA for incubating ideas and developing an enabling environment for startups to thrive in the country.
Through the ONDI, NITDA supported over 250 startups through various interventions that are targeted at the development and growth of the Nigerian technology ecosystem for greater impact on
job creation and economic growth.
Apart from facilitated grants and seed funding, NITDA also supports of startups by organising selection processes for their sponsorship of big tech events which included GITEX global event, LEAP Tech Conference, Intra-African Trade Fair among others where they won global awards and prizes.
By PRNigeria
