Nigeria’s tech visionary and Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has called for the integration of renewable energy and digital innovation as drivers of inclusive growth and rural transformation across Nigeria.
Speaking in Washington D.C. during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Inuwa underscored the critical link between clean energy, digital access, and socioeconomic empowerment.
He described renewable energy as a “catalyst for real transformation,” explaining that power generation is the first step toward connectivity and digital inclusion. “When there is power, connectivity follows, and that connectivity triggers true transformation,” Inuwa said.
Highlighting practical examples, the NITDA boss outlined how access to clean energy and digital tools is reshaping livelihoods in rural Nigeria—ranging from AI-driven agriculture that boosts farm productivity, to digital platforms empowering women entrepreneurs, and remote jobs that enable young Nigerians to earn globally while living locally.
Inuwa linked these initiatives to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that Nigeria’s digital economy strategy—spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy—is anchored on five key pillars: knowledge, policy, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, and trade.
He further revealed that NITDA has expanded this framework into eight strategic pillars, with a focus on building a digitally skilled population. Through a collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Agency is integrating digital literacy into Nigeria’s education curriculum from kindergarten to tertiary level, targeting 70% digital literacy by 2027.
Inuwa’s presentation reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging technology and clean energy to create sustainable opportunities, bridge the rural-urban divide, and position the country as a leader in Africa’s digital transformation journey.
