By Emmanuella Oghenetega
In alignment with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2024–2027), aimed to achieve 70% digital literacy nationwide by 2027, Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has reaffirmed the commitment of the agency to advance inclusive digital transformation, particularly among Nigeria’s displaced population.
The DG made this assertion during a strategic engagement, with the leadership of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) at NITDA’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
He announced plans to “reactivate and scale up this collaboration by supplying new IT equipment and introducing customised digital literacy programmes in resettlement cities.”
Outlining NITDA’s renewed efforts include several key strategies: Establishing community-based digital learning centres with shared devices; Deploying trained National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to deliver ICT training in resettlement camps; and Providing ICT infrastructure tailored to the unique needs of each community.
Inuwa also revealed that NITDA is partnering with an international organisation to deploy innovative tech hubs within Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the Federal Capital Territory, and emphasised the need for a formalised workstream between both agencies to conduct joint needs assessments in resettlement cities and camps, design and deliver customised interventions for each community, and develop a scalable, replicable model for nationwide adoption.
Also speaking, Tijani Aliyu Ahmed, Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, commended NITDA’s leadership in driving national development. He noted that Nigeria currently hosts over 6.1 million internally displaced persons due to insecurity, insurgency, and natural disasters, with over 125,000 Nigerians also seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
He added that strengthening host communities by improving access to clean water, rehabilitated schools, and healthcare services is also a goal. Resettlement cities have already been developed in Kano, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, and Daura, with a new site in Keffi, Nasarawa State, housing over 40 households. These centers provide homes, healthcare facilities, markets, schools, vocational training hubs, and agricultural land to empower displaced persons to rebuild their lives.
In similar strides towards an inclusive digital future, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is spearheading a transformative drive to empower Nigerian women in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Economy.
NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, restated this at the “Innovate Her 25″ conference, the 10th National Conference and 11th Annual Meeting of Nigerian Women in Information Technology, which had theme: Women in AI: Unlocking Resilience, Fostering Innovation and Leadership.”
Speaking, the Director General of NITDA, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, emphasised that true innovation blossoms not in isolation, but through synergistic partnerships and collective endeavor, principles deeply embedded in NITDA’s operational ethos.
Highlighting Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, Inuwa added that inclusivity is embedded as a core objective: “Our strategic roadmap mandates that at least 40% of our programmes directly benefit women and underserved groups. We have also developed a Gender Inclusion Strategy to guide interventions in areas such as training and infrastructure,” he explained.
Further underscoring Nigeria’s leadership in the digital space, Inuwa excitingly announced that in September 2025, NITDA will proudly host a Leadership Summit on AI. This landmark event will convene stakeholders from across the African continent, fostering a collaborative environment to forge a unified AI vision for Africa.
NITDA stands ready to collaborate with organisations like the Nigerian Women in Information Technology (NIWIT), actively encouraging proposals for bespoke programmes that cater to specific community needs. “We focus on targeted training with measurable outcomes, rather than generic approaches,” Inuwa affirmed, emphasising a results-oriented methodology.
He further spotlighted NITDA’s “Digital Literacy for All Initiative,” which seeks to equip 70% of Nigerians with digital literacy by 2027. Through strategic partnerships with the NYSC and the integration of digital literacy into national school curricula, the agency plans to train over 30 million Nigerians — with a dedicated focus on underserved communities and public servants.
NITDA is also championing mentorship for women in technology through impactful initiatives such as Women Innovate. The agency warmly welcomes collaboration with NIWIT to design structured mentorship programmes and is open to formalising such partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
