Abuja — The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reinforced its drive toward an inclusive and secure digital future through renewed collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), signalling a major step forward in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
At a strategic engagement session, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr. Dimie Shively Warowie, PhD, held high-level discussions with the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the ITU to explore expanded areas of cooperation and technical partnership.
The engagement was anchored on a shared vision to deliver universal, meaningful, and affordable connectivity for all Nigerians, while ensuring the protection and resilience of the nation’s digital ecosystem. Discussions reflected a growing convergence between national policy priorities and global best practices in digital governance and infrastructure development.
During the meeting, the ITU commended Nigeria’s progress in regulatory coordination, highlighting the country’s attainment of G5-level collaborative regulation—an international benchmark for advanced regulatory maturity. The Bureau also acknowledged the leadership and reform-driven agenda of the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijjani, describing it as pivotal to Nigeria’s evolving digital landscape.
Beyond commendations, the ITU reaffirmed its readiness to provide hands-on technical support to NITDA, including cybersecurity tools, capacity-building programmes, and institutional backing for initiatives aimed at expanding inclusive connectivity and establishing functional digital transformation centres nationwide.
Speaking on behalf of the NITDA Director-General, Dr. Warowie outlined the agency’s strategic priorities, which include digital skills development, strengthening cybersecurity resilience, fostering innovation and digital entrepreneurship, and harmonising regulatory frameworks and technical standards to support a thriving digital economy.
Social Impact and National Relevance
The renewed collaboration underscores a people-centred approach to digital development—one that recognises digital access, skills, and security as essential enablers of economic opportunity, education, innovation, and social inclusion. By prioritising digital literacy, school connectivity, cybersecurity capacity building, and regulatory alignment, the partnership aims to close Nigeria’s digital divide while safeguarding citizens and institutions in an increasingly connected society.
Both NITDA and the ITU expressed strong commitment to sustained engagement, identifying digital literacy, innovation support, cybersecurity, and regulatory coherence as immediate focus areas.
The partnership reflects a shared resolve to leverage global expertise and institutional synergies to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation, strengthen trust in the digital space, and position the country as a competitive and secure digital economy within Africa and beyond.