The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the University of Abuja have commenced discussions on a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure, expanding digital literacy, advancing artificial intelligence (AI) education and boosting technology-driven research.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to building a future-ready workforce capable of driving Nigeria’s digital economy.
The partnership was explored when the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, received the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, and his management team during a courtesy visit to the agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, Fawehinmi commended NITDA for its leadership in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation through innovative policies, strategic programmes and sustained investments in digital skills development.
He sought the agency’s support to upgrade the university’s digital infrastructure, expand digital literacy programmes, integrate AI into teaching and learning, and strengthen research capacity.
According to him, the initiatives would help equip students with industry-relevant skills needed to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
Responding, Inuwa said NITDA’s initiatives were guided by its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), which focuses on building a digitally empowered Nigeria capable of achieving inclusive economic growth through technological innovation.
The NITDA boss described universities as the nation’s “talent factories,” stressing that Nigeria’s digital transformation would remain incomplete without a highly skilled workforce capable of developing innovative solutions to national challenges.
He said NITDA was already working with the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to mainstream digital literacy across the education system.
Inuwa explained that although pilot digital skills programmes had recorded positive outcomes, integrating digital literacy into formal education remained the most sustainable strategy for producing graduates who are employable and prepared for the rapidly changing demands of the global digital economy.
He added that NITDA was developing a Nigerian Tech Outlook Report designed to provide comprehensive insights into the country’s technology ecosystem, including technology adoption trends, investment opportunities and emerging innovation priorities.
According to him, the report would serve as a strategic resource for policymakers, investors, researchers and innovators, while supporting evidence-based decision-making and guiding future investments in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The proposed NITDA-University of Abuja partnership is expected to strengthen collaboration between government and academia while accelerating the development of digital skills, AI capacity and technology research needed to position Nigerian graduates for the future of work.If you want, I can also make this more fiery and newspaper-style, with 5 punchy headline options.
