The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost Nigeria’s productivity, enhance public services, and create new economic opportunities. He emphasized that the country’s AI journey is built on three main pillars: strategy, inclusivity, and responsibility.
This was disclosed in a statement shared on the agency’s official X handle on Wednesday. According to the statement, Abdullahi spoke during the GITEX Global 2025 event, where he explained that Nigeria’s approach to Artificial Intelligence is guided by a clear national vision.
The statement reads, “With the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS) as its blueprint, Nigeria is deploying AI to boost productivity, improve public services, and create economic opportunities, all while ensuring that no citizen is left behind.”
He noted that the agency’s focus includes expanding local data centres, building national compute infrastructure, and developing AI governance frameworks and ethics guidelines. “Innovation must be balanced with trust, transparency, and accountability,” he added.
Abdullahi further stated that Nigeria is investing in its youthful population through initiatives such as the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), the Digital Literacy for All Initiative, and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme. These programs are designed to equip youth, researchers, and startups to become creators of AI solutions rather than mere consumers.
“In Nigeria, AI is already transforming sectors like finance, agriculture, and healthcare, improving efficiency, transparency, and citizen experience. Looking into the future, Nigeria is open to global partnerships and collaborations, aiming to co-create solutions that are responsible, inclusive, and impactful to our citizens,” the statement concluded.