How we’re Positioning Nigeria to Harness $2m Digital Jobs Using AI – NITDA Boss 

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has unveiled plans to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key driver of Nigeria’s economic transformation, with a focus on job creation, inclusive growth, and global competitiveness.

According to him, the agency is positioning Nigeria to harness AI to create over $2 million digital jobs, accelerate innovation across key sectors, and empower its youth population, which he described as the country’s “biggest asset.”

In his keynote address at the 3rd annual Economic Confidential Public Lecture, the NITDA boss stressed that AI has the potential to do for Nigeria’s economy what mobile phones did in leapfrogging landline technology.

The Public Lecture was organised by Image Merchants Promotion Ltd (IMPR), publishers of PRNIgeria, Economic Confidential, Tech Digest, Politics Digest, Spokespersons Digest, Emergency Digest, Arewa Agenda, and Entertainment Digest.

“AI is not just a technology; it is an enabler of national prosperity. Nigeria must seize this opportunity to leapfrog into the future, just like mobile phones helped us bypass landlines. With over 130 million internet users, our country has the digital base to build an AI-powered economy,” Inuwa said.

He highlighted that AI applications could unlock new solutions in food security, fintech, education, and healthcare, noting that the technology is central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

On partnerships, the NITDA boss revealed that Nigeria is already working with global technology firms, development partners like the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and institutions such as the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to build a sustainable AI innovation ecosystem.

“Our goal is to move from being a consumer of technology to becoming creators and exporters of AI solutions. By doing so, we can drive inclusive growth, reduce poverty, and make Nigeria globally competitive,” he added.

He explained that the agency is focusing on capacity development, digital infrastructure, and AI research, stressing that a strong innovation ecosystem will ensure young Nigerians not only get jobs but also create them.

The NITDA chief also drew attention to Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest digital market, arguing that if properly harnessed, AI could contribute up to 20 percent of the country’s GDP growth in the coming years.

The event also featured presentation of three new books authored by young professionals and corps members at IMPR. A staff writer with Economic Confidential, Rahma Olamide Oladosu, authored a Book titled: “Renewed Hope in Central Banking,” while “Healing Nigeria: A Chronicle of Health Reforms” was written by the duo of by Lawal Mamman and Maimuma Aliyu. “Diplomacy and Digital Innovation: Youth Insight” was also co-authored by two corps members, Fatimah Usman and Farouk Umar Bala.

Reviewing the book, IMPR Board Chairman, Dr. Sule Ya’u Sule, described the three newly launched books as a “trilogy of ideas and vision” that collectively provide a blueprint for Nigeria’s transformation. He noted that each volume distilled incisive articles, earlier published in IMPR platforms and reputable media houses across the country, into enduring scholarly works that speak directly to Nigeria’s present challenges and future aspirations.

Ya’u said Rahma’s book offers a clear and accessible analysis of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s reforms under Governor Olayemi Cardoso, presenting a coherent vision of monetary stability and financial leadership for Africa.

He further commended “Healing Nigeria: A Chronicle of Health Reforms” by Lawal Dahiru Mamman and Maimuna Katuka Aliyu for its human-centered exploration of Nigeria’s health sector, describing it as “both a manifesto and a call to action” that elevates healthcare equity into a national imperative.

On the third book, “Diplomacy and Digital Innovation – Youth Insight,” co-authored by NYSC members Fatimah Yusuf Usman and Umar Farouk Bala, Dr. Ya’u observed that the work captures the optimism and creativity of Nigerian youth while spotlighting digital transformation and foreign policy as twin pillars of progress.

“This youthful and disciplined reimagination of Nigeria’s global role,” he said, “is both a compass and a challenge, demonstrating the intellectual strength and patriotic urgency of our next generation.”