The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has called for stronger collaboration, practical innovation, and inclusive policymaking to ensure Africa is fully prepared to harness the opportunities of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Inuwa made the call while speaking at the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa 2025 held in Lagos, with the theme “Fostering a Digital Africa: Connectivities, Convergence and Innovation.” The event brought together technology leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss strategies for accelerating Africa’s digital transformation and competitiveness.
During a panel session titled “From Mobile First to AI-Ready: Will Africa Deliver on Innovation?” the NITDA boss said Africa’s challenges should be viewed as opportunities, stressing that the continent’s youthful population remains its most valuable resource.
“We have a generation that is energetic, curious, and ready to embrace digital technology,” Inuwa said. “This is a major asset — but only if we equip them with the right skills to use these technologies productively. Otherwise, it could become a demographic burden driven by unemployment and underutilization of talent.”
He explained that the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is taking deliberate steps to turn Nigeria’s demographic advantage into a digital dividend. According to him, one of the key initiatives in this direction is the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, described as Africa’s largest human capacity development and digital transformation initiative.
“The goal,” he noted, “is simple: to equip our young people with the digital and technical skills they need to thrive in today’s world and power Africa’s digital economy.”
On digital infrastructure, Inuwa revealed that the Federal Government has introduced new funding mechanisms to mobilise public and private resources for infrastructure development. He mentioned the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy on Mediation and the Project Bridge Initiative as examples of innovative frameworks aimed at aligning government, private sector, and development partner investments to accelerate digital infrastructure delivery.
He added that the government is also developing a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) framework to interconnect identity, payments, and data systems — a foundation that will enable innovators to create AI-powered and digital services.
“Our goal is to ensure that infrastructure, policy, and human capital are aligned to make Africa competitive in the global AI ecosystem,” the NITDA DG emphasized.
On Africa’s position in the emerging global AI order, Inuwa warned that the continent must avoid overreliance on AI models created in advanced economies, which may not reflect African realities. He urged policymakers to prioritize the use of local data and the nurturing of domestic talent to build AI systems that truly address the continent’s needs.
“During previous industrial revolutions, Africa supplied the raw materials that powered global industries but gained little technological benefit,” he said. “It wasn’t because we lacked resources or talent, but because we lacked collaboration and structural integration. As we enter this new digital era, we must ensure unity, build capacity, and collaborate to lead, not follow.”
Speaking in another panel session, “Shaping Africa’s Digital Future: Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for Accelerated Growth,” Inuwa advocated for what he called a “dream big, but build small” approach to Africa’s digital transformation. He argued that meaningful progress requires practical, scalable innovations that address local needs while keeping a broader continental and global vision.
“When we talk about Africa’s growth, we must think in an ecosystem mindset,” he said. “In the technology space, we often speak of the Nigerian tech ecosystem, the African tech ecosystem, and the global tech ecosystem. No one can succeed in isolation — technology doesn’t respect borders or hierarchies; it connects and transforms.
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