NITDA, EMERGING TECH AFRICA TO PARTNER ON DIGITAL ECONOMY

NITDA, EMERGING TECH AFRICA TO PARTNER ON DIGITAL ECONOMY

 

 

 

The Director-General National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has expressed readiness to collaborate with Emerging Tech Africa, led by Atayero of Aramoko Kingdom in Ekiti State and Chairman of Emerging Tech Africa Communication Limited, HRH, Oba (Dr). Olusegun Aderemi Idowu (JP), on critical areas of the Digital Economy.

Inuwa stated this while receiving the Chairman, Emerging Tech Africa Communication Limited; Lead Team of JKL CAPITAL, Mr. J. Shi and Ms. Nidaa Sabbagh on courtesy visit where issues of mutual understanding and benefits in the areas of digital economy, job and wealth creation were discussed.

While emphasising importance of the agency’s National Digital Skills Strategy, which aims to achieve 95% digital literacy among Nigerians by 2030, as well as the adoption of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence to tap into the $13 trillion global market by 2030, the DG outlined NITDA’s achievements and discussed the prospects and challenges of Nigeria’s IT ecosystem.

“We have some flagship initiatives and projects which we believe can help us capture value; one of such is building and hatching talents because according to research, by 2030, there is going to be 85million talent deficit globally, making talent a huge industry itself”.

“So, we are working towards positioning Nigeria as the world’s talent factory, exporting our brains, providing talented workforce to render services for your establishments, Nigeria, the continent and the world”, the DG expounded.
Inuwa reiterated the need for continuous collaborations for higher productivity, according to him “no one can whistle a symphony; it takes a whole orchestra to play it. We believe in teamwork and we know there are things we can do as a government that you cannot do as a private sector and vice versa, but together, nothing is impossible. That’s why we are always willing to forge a common front of working together to co-create the ecosystem and prosperity for all”.

The DG also took his guests through other key focus areas of the Agency, including the implementation of NITDA Start-up Act, completion of the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, National Data Strategy Implementation, Adoption of Blockchain Technology, Implementation of the National Digital Skills Strategy amongst others.

“As we look forward to our collaboration and the possible future, NITDA remains committed to sustaining the momentum, leveraging emerging technologies, developing policies and strategies that promote digital transformation, and creating an enabling environment for our startups and entrepreneurs to thrive”, the DG affirmed

The leader of the delegation, Atayero of Aramoko Kingdom, Ekiti State and Chairman, Emerging Tech Africa Communication Limited, HRH, Oba (Dr). Olusegun Aderemi Idowu (JP) who was in company of his team members; Lead Team of JKL CAPITAL, Mr. J. Shi and Ms. Nidaa Sabbagh said the courtesy visit was to seek possible partnerships and discuss issues of mutual understanding and benefits in areas of digital economy, job and wealth creation.

“We are an indigenous company doing excellently in the area of information technology, digital economy, job and wealth creation. Our partners, JKL CAPITAL in London are in Nigeria to partner with our company ETECHA COMMUNICATION LIMITED to do business, and we wish your Ministry could be part of government agencies that will warehouse some of the business interest to attract mutual interest and benefits for Nigeria”, Dr Idowu said.

While enumerating some of the areas of interest in Nigeria the company wishes to invest in include Blockchain Technology, Gaming business opportunities, TV broadcasting resources, and Payment Solution Service, Dr Idowu was hopeful that the collaboration will be beneficial to all parties involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NITDA DG CALLS FOR REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO COMBAT CYBER THREATS IN AFRICA

NITDA DG CALLS FOR REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO COMBAT CYBER THREATS IN AFRICA

 

As African continent continues to experience rapid technological growth and increasing internet penetration, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has called on governments to be resilient in minimising the impact of cyberattacks on African Nations’ operations of critical infrastructure, national security, reputation, and economy.

Inuwa said this while speaking on ‘Strategies for Boosting Africa’s Cyber Resilience’ at the ongoing GISEC Global, a leading gathering ground for the cybersecurity community, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The DG said that to protect citizens and assets and genuinely harness the benefits of increasingly complicated digital reality, Africa cannot afford to be apathetic towards cybersecurity. With the right strategies and approaches, Africa can enhance its cybersecurity posture and build resilience against cyberattacks.

“African nations must work collaboratively to build and implement robust, inclusive, and proactive cyber resilience methodologies and comprehensive approaches to the identification and mitigation of critical vulnerabilities. This includes encouraging the exchange of collective knowledge and intelligence on cyber threats and promoting international cooperation in responding to cybercrime,” he said.

The DG further cited Check Point Research Report of 2022 that says African countries experienced an average of 1,848 cyberattacks per week per organisation in 2022, compared to 1,164 globally. Nigeria, the most populous African country, accounted for the largest number of users, with over 100 million internet users, followed by Egypt with 76 million and South Africa with 41 million. However, these countries, along with Kenya, also account for 60% of the $4 billion annual cost of cybercrime in Africa.

According to Inuwa, “despite these challenges, Africa’s digital transformation projects are gaining momentum, with online shoppers reaching almost 390 million and social media users reaching over 380 million in 2022.

“This growing accessibility is due to increasing mobile device adoption and improved telecommunication systems. However, the increasing threat of cyberattacks puts our socio-economic security at risk locally and internationally.”

Inuwa added that it is imperative that all governments prioritise cybersecurity and take the necessary measures to strengthen their digital defenses to protect citizens from the threats posed by online attacks.

Citing Africa Center for Strategic Studies Report, Inuwa said “Only 15 African countries have completed national cybersecurity strategies, which lay out strategic objectives and assign government-wide responsibilities for cyber threat monitoring and response.”

To boost Africa’s cyber resilience, Inuwa said countries must adopt several key strategies including; understanding the current cybersecurity landscape in Africa; create and implement comprehensive and multi-stakeholder policies and legal frameworks to ensure accountability and incentivise investments in cybersecurity measures; and close the cybersecurity talent gap by investing in training and development programmes to equip our workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to protect themselves and our organisations against cyber threats.

“We need to invest in the development of robust cybersecurity technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and endpoint protection. These tools can help detect and prevent cyberattacks before they cause significant harm.

“Both the government and private sector must play a role in providing institutional support for cybersecurity, including the creation of dedicated cybersecurity agencies and units, as well as public-private partnerships that allow for the sharing of resources and expertise.

“We must prioritise regional partnerships and cross-border cooperation to combat cyber threats, as they do not respect geographical boundaries. This can include African countries working together to formulate and implement effective responses to cyberattacks and share best practices.

“Finally, national cyber-response plans and specialised Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) for critical infrastructure sectors are essential in ensuring cyber resilience. These plans should outline the procedures and protocols,” he said.

PANTAMI CALLS FOR GLOBAL COLLABORATION IN DEVELOPING DIGITAL ECONOMIES AS NIGERIA GIVES SCORECARD ON WORLD STAGE

PANTAMI CALLS FOR GLOBAL COLLABORATION IN DEVELOPING DIGITAL ECONOMIES AS NIGERIA GIVES SCORECARD ON WORLD STAGE

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Leader of the Nigerian delegation to the on-going LEAP Technology Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has called on global economies particularly, member states of the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) to prioritise and adopt collaborative strategies and initiatives as a vital part of the efforts to achieve digitalization.

Professor Pantami made the call on while speaking at a special DCO high-powered panel session titled: Deep Dive:The Road To International Digital Economy Through Innovation-Bridging Digital Divides And Breaking Down Barriers.

“In my opinion, the way other countries can benefit from the progress we have made so far, is through collaborations and partnerships. There is no monopoly of wisdom and knowledge, your strength could be the weakness of your neighbour and your weakness could be the strength of your neighbour. Through partnerships and collaborations, we can complement each other. DCO has been established in order to support, collaborate and partner with each other because, our strength is in our unity. When members of the DCO agree to take a certain position, there is no institution in the world that will not listen to them”.

He further emphasized that “developing a digital economy is hinged on two factors; digital innovation and entrepreneurship”.

Responding to enquiries by the DCO Secretary General, Ms Deema Yahya, who also moderated the session on the strategies adopted by Nigeria in its digital success story, the honourable Minister noted that digital innovation, digital entrepreneurship and enabling policies have been the bedrock of the fastest growing sector in the Nigerian economy. “The Nigerian government has established twenty one national policies which are in full effect to encourage development in the sector, the establishment of a National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, aggressive investments in digital skills capacity building including championing a paradigm shift of prioritizing skills over unproven certificates are some of the initiatives we have explored in developing the sector in Nigeria”.

Speaking on the sector’s score card, Professor Pantami highlighted the significant increase in revenue generation, a consistent increase in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which currently stands at 18.44%, an unprecedented increase in the national data base which had remained at thirty nine million for thirteen years to ninety five million within two years and three months, ICT intervention centers, digital skills acquisition among others.

Recall that a recent independent assessment of the sector, conducted by KPMG and DCFO returned an unprecedented pass mark for the sector.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NIGERIA HAS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE GLOBAL TALENT FACTORY

NIGERIA HAS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE GLOBAL TALENT FACTORY

 

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has said Nigeria has a competitive advantage to continue positioning itself as the global talent factory in the areas of technology, sports, music, and movie industries.

Inuwa made this known when he received the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Outsource Global, Ms. Amal Hassan on a courtesy visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters, in Abuja.
The visit was aimed at partnering with NITDA in the area of digital economy policies and initiatives, and to work with NITDA to actualise the rebranding of the country.

While assuring the team of the Agency’s maximum cooperation, Inuwa noted that NITDA is one of the Federal Government’s Agencies in charge of implementing National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS). According to him, the Agency wishes to partner with Outsource Global in achieving the needed result in Nigeria’s digital space.

He reminded the visitors that NITDA was established in 2001 to help with the integration of IT into Nigeria’s system noting that at that time, less than 500,000 Nigerians have access to computers with ICT’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) less than 0.5 percent.

However, today, according to Inuwa, more than 100 million Nigerians have access to internet and computers because “our mobile phones are computers and with improved contribution of ICT to the tunes of 18.44 percent to the GDP; almost twice than what oil and gas were contributing to Nigerian GDP, because the latter contributed about 8 percent.”

He added that NITDA was calibrating to transform the Agency and the sector to position Nigeria in the global digital economy map, create and capture value, and become the superpower in Digital Economy.

He said “Outsourcing is the greatest idea in which critical stakeholders, and influential mindsets people have to listen and look into collectively for making Nigeria a strong Digital Economy nation, and working with the tech ecosystem, and listening to them would help stimulate the growth of the tech ecosystem.”

“To believe in the eecosystem, everyone has his own role and responsibilities, and the government’s responsibility is to intervene in terms of infrastructure, policies, and regulations,” he added.

Inuwa reiterated that Nigeria has a brighter future when it comes to Business Process Outsourcing.

In her remarks, the CEO of Outsource Global, Amal Hassan and her counterpart, Ben Faes described the visit as timely considering the warm reception and sharing of ideas on the partnership with NITDA.

She underscored the importance of Outsourcing as a subsector that offers employment opportunities to thousands of people globally.

She concluded that Outsourcing Global would tap from NITDA’s wealth of experience to rebrand Nigeria as a world-class ICT destination.

STARTUP BILL WILL GROW NIGERIA’S TECH ECOSYSTEM – DG NITDA

STARTUP BILL WILL GROW NIGERIA’S TECH ECOSYSTEM – DG NITDA

 

 

 

As Nigeria moves to harness the potential of its digital economy through co-created regulations and provide enabling environment for growth, attraction and protection of investment in the sector, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has said that the recently passed Nigeria Startup Bill by National Assembly will help institutionalize legal frameworks that will enhance the growth of startups easily, quickly and conveniently in the country.

Inuwa stated this while delivering a Keynote Address at the Google Black Founders Fund in Africa 2022 Launch Event, which took place at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja

The DG noted that part of the challenge being faced by startups especially in Africa is legal backing. According to him, starting and growing businesses in Africa used to be a big challenge, but with such Bill in place, it will be easier to start a business.

Speaking on the importance of the event, Inuwa said the gathering is an opportunity for startups to get funding and start a business. Also, it is coming with other incentives like the training Google offers which can be accessed via their Cloud.

While affirming government’s commitment to the growth of digital economy in Nigeria, Inuwa said “we believe our own responsibility is to come up with policies that can enable a level playing field, and the government has been doing a lot in this area, starting with expanding the mandate of our ministry to cover digital economy, and the ongoing implementation of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a digital Nigeria, which outlined its strategic pillars that are key to the ecosystem.”

“We are currently working on a project called “Talent Gap Assessment”, because we believe talent is the people side of technology. In Africa, we cannot compete with the rest of the world in terms of hardware and any technology infrastructure, but when it comes to talent, we have a competitive edge over the rest of the world.

Advising the Startups to have it in mind that technology is making things easier, Inuwa noted that customers’ demand is changing rapidly, so they should envisage how human lives will be tomorrow and come up with innovative products that will be sellable in the future market.

“Don’t waste your time on what is happening today, the problem of today may be irrelevant tomorrow. Focus on Emerging Technologies and change the way we do things in this world. What helps you to succeed today may not help you succeed tomorrow.”

“Try and turn your products into services because the world is moving to a service platform markets. You will make more money in service than in products. It is easier to provide a service in Africa because of our challenging infrastructure. Let us explore that, that will help us to excel,” he added.

He assured that the government is ready to partner with people or organizations like Google and the ecosystem in general, especially five key critical stakeholders needed on board to build a strong ecosystem; Entrepreneurs, Higher Institution, Corporate Organisations, Multi-national and Government.

“Entrepreneurs brings idea, higher institutions provide human capital development, corporate organisations absorb products, and government’s role is basically in the policy-making and intervenes in a situation whereby there is shortage in unserved and underserved areas. This is why the government came up with the start-up bill which is also going to come up with a seed funding that can help with early-stage funding as well,” he noted.

Inuwa thanked Google for the opportunity provided to African startups and also encouraged other multi-nationals to look at how they can help the African startups ecosystem with funding, adding that it is going to be a win-win situation, the more startups in Africa, the more digital offerings, the more market they will create for the multi-nationals.

On his part, Mr Adewolu Adene, Government Affairs and Policy Manager, Google Nigeria, applauded the Nigerian Government for the support it provides on easy system, and contributing to their data in terms of physical incentives and the registration process of Corporate Affairs Commission.

He said, “We are really grateful for the support that we have been getting from policy-makers and all the forces behind. We have done a lot to get to this point and we hope that we can continue to do even more to take us further such that we are able to deliver to the respective mandate.”

iHATCH DEMO DAY: NITDA DG LAUDS PRODUCTIVE OUTCOME, COMMITS TO EXPANDING INDIGENOUS TECH INNOVATION

iHATCH DEMO DAY: NITDA DG LAUDS PRODUCTIVE OUTCOME, COMMITS TO EXPANDING INDIGENOUS TECH INNOVATION
As part of efforts toward sustaining the promotion and growth of digital innovation and entrepreneurship derived from the seven (7) pillars of its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2021-2024, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) through Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), a subsidiary of the Agency, in partnership with Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) held Idea Hatch (iHatch) 1st Cohort Demo Day with a commitment to work with relevant stakeholders and partners in implementing programmes and initiatives that will accelerate innovation and provide the much-needed jobs for Nigerian youths.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, represented by National Director of the National Centre for Artificial intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), Engr. Ya’u Garba, lauded the Startup Incubation Programme which he described as a vibrant demonstration of the importance of collaboration for the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria’s digital economy.
He said, “The partnership with JICA in the implementation of the iHatch programme is part of our initiatives to strengthen the tech and innovation ecosystem for the creation of more IDEs that will invariably contribute to creation of jobs for our teeming youth and the prosperity of our country”.
Inuwa expressed hope that the programme would go a long way in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of young innovative Nigerians to catalyze the Nigerian digital economy to the next level.
“This is to increase the number of Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDES) viz a viz sustaining the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.”, the DG asserted.
Inuwa, who gave a comprehensive overview of the different processes during the incubation period noted that over five thousand (5,000+) entries were received in the countdown to present moment.
“The number was pruned down to 8 startups, comprising a Founder and Co-Founder for each startup, after undergoing two levels of rigorous selection process conducted by a panel of 10 judges, constituted of experts from diverse areas of technology and innovative entrepreneurship.”
“The selection process assessed the startups’ ideas based on the criteria of profitability, scalability, social impact, idea technique, competitive advantage, experience, and a clearly defined future roadmap”, he added.
According to Inuwa, in the course of the programme, the startups benefited from free virtual and physical interactive lectures with experienced mentors, free workspace, mentorship meetings with tech professionals, pitch deck enhancement, and networking opportunities, and four startups that were initially not legally registered, successfully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) while work is in progress on the prototyping and Intellectual Property (IP) registration of their business ideas.
Inuwa maintained that the Demo Day also marks the inauguration of the Second Cohort of the iHatch Incubation Programme.
While appreciating the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), for facilitating the partnership between the Japanese and Nigerian governments and for making the iHatch programme a reality, Inuwa also appreciated the Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for keeping faith in the highly impactful partnership.
“Flowing from this partnership, NITDA and JICA conceptualised and designed the iHatch, a 5-month free intensive incubation programme executed by the ONDI and hosted within the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).”
“Essentially, the programme is designed to help Nigerian entrepreneurs refine their business ideas through a series of coaching, lectures, and bootcamps to generate scalable and adaptable business models in the country”, he noted.
Referencing Statistic where Nigeria is reported to have an estimated 3,300 startups in 2020, which is highest on the African continent; the NITDA Boss stressed that Nigerian startups have continued to attract more investment than other countries on the continent, with a number of the startups raising about USD$600 million in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022.
“The top ten startups that attracted the funding are Flutterwave ($250 million); Moove ($105 million); ThriveAgric ($56.4 million); Reliance Health ($40 million); Bamboo ($15 million); Credpal ($15 million); SeamlessHR ($10 million); DrugStoc ($4.4 million); Casava ($4 million) and Sudo Africa ($3.7 million). These clearly indicates the vast potentials that abound within Nigeria’s tech and innovation ecosystem”, Inuwa averred.
Meanwhile other speakers including the Chief Representative, JICA Nigeria, Susumu Yakzorio and the AG. National Coordinator, ONDI, Yakubu Musa were optimistic that the programme will inspire Nigerians to become active players in the global innovation-driven market.
Highpoints of the event witnessed eight innovators including e-dokta, SolutionMed, Authentic QRTech, EveryFarmer, XTID Network, Afrinet Powertech, Beta life, and Xolani Health who took turns to pitch their solutions with Xolani Health, Evlvery Farmer and Betalife clinching the first, second and third positions respectively.
The winers were awarded the sum of $15,000 each, courtesy of JiCA.
The Demo Day also signaled the end of the first cohort and inauguration of the Second Cohort of the iHatch Startup Incubation Programme; with the key players hoping that the third cohort would be extended across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

DIGITAL INNOVATION: NITDA BEGINS HACKATHON FOR STUDENTS, ENTREPREUNERS IN ADAMAWA

DIGITAL INNOVATION: NITDA BEGINS HACKATHON FOR STUDENTS, ENTREPREUNERS IN ADAMAWA

In its bid in providing platform for young Nigerian tech students to showcase their talents, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) under the supervision of Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has commenced this year’s Hackathon where participants would come together and share ideas on ways to confront the country’s challenges using digital innovation.


The programme which is being coordinated by the Agency’s subsidiary, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and to be hosted in Cross River (South-South), Oyo (South West) and Adamawa (North-East), kicked off in Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, with students, entrepreneurs and innovators from different field with the purpose of harnessing the potentials of Nigerian youths in their quest to become problem solvers through digital innovation.

NITDA Hackathon is a National event in collaboration with academic institutions to drive digital innovation and entrepreneurship by challenging Nigeria’s teeming youths to ideate and develop solutions from inception through to the market.
The programme is set to develop and grow a global network of IT experts, comprising Nigerian youths within the country and in the diaspora.
It is targeted at inculcating entrepreneurship spirit in academia, creating a platform where industry and public institutions will leverage the academic research ecosystem to solve national challenges using technology.

The focus of this year’s programme is on Agriculture, Security and Logistics – considering the country’s current security challenges, the Agency gave security top priority; and Agriculture, as a result of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to ensure Nigeria become a food self-sufficient nation and fight against insecurity.
Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has equally urged the participants to show commitment and use their brain to come up with innovative ideas that will turn the security situation in the country around.

He said, “Technology is all about changing the way people do things, by coming up with ideas that will solve problems. This programme is aimed at giving Nigerian students, entrepreneurs and innovators the motivation to think, ideate and come up with digital innovation that will solve our problems locally.”

While commenting on the role NITDA’s subsidiaries are playing in supporting Nigerian startups, Inuwa said, “National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) is one of NITDA’s special purpose vehicles created to promote research and development on emerging technologies and their practical application in areas of Nigerian national interest. NCAIR is also focused on creating a thriving ecosystem for innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE), job creation, and national development.”

On his part, the NITDA team lead, Dr Salihu Abdulkarim, noted that the participants were divided into groups, and winners in each category will be awarded cash prizes. They will also have the opportunity to conceptualize their ideas for commercialisation to meet global standards with NITDA’s support.

NITDA UNVEILS NDPR COMPLIANT VISITORS’ BOOKLET

NITDA UNVEILS NDPR COMPLIANT VISITORS’ BOOKLET

The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, is leading by example for being the first agency of government in Nigeria to implement a major aspect of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) by launching the NDPR complaint visitors’ book today in Abuja.

The launching of the booklet was performed by the Director General of the Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, shortly after the agency’s first staff meeting of the year 2022 with all staff in attendance physically and virtually, especially for those outside the headquarters on official assignments, zonal offices or on leave.

According to Inuwa; “It is NITDA’s mandate as enshrined in NITDA Act of 2007 to inter alia; develop regulations for electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions as an alternative to paper-based methods in government, commerce, education, the private and public sectors, labour and other fields, where the use of electronic communication may improve the exchange of data and information”.

He said, “Recognizing that many public and private bodies have migrated their respective businesses and other information systems online, information solutions with both the private and public sectors now drive service delivery in the country through digital systems. These information systems have thus become critical information infrastructure that must be safeguarded, regulated, and protected against atrocious breaches”.

“Data protection applies to all transactions intended for the processing of Personal Data, notwithstanding how the data processing is being conducted or intended to be conducted in respect of natural persons in Nigeria’’, he said.

The DG stated that organisations in Nigeria were caught scrambling to comply with the NDPR when it was launched in 2019. “Most organisations especially Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) are finding it difficult to comply with some of the basic requirements of the regulation due to financial constraints,” he added.

Inuwa disclosed that a recent study has revealed that many Nigeria Public Institutions and small business owners are still confused by the rules around data protection and privacy regulations.

“Disturbingly, out of 30 surveyed, 100% confirmed their paper visitors’ books are not confidential and do not protect the visitors’ personal data. Another 98% admitted they do not dispose of paper visitor books securely and confidentially – leaving the personal data of millions of employees and customers at risk,’’ he lamented.

He explained that when putting NDPR procedures in place, it’s very likely that many organisations did so with one big misconception that the new law only affects data collected online. The NDPR is technology-agnostic. It applies to all acts of personal data collection and processing, no matter how and where it takes place, visitor data, employee personal data, etc.

Inuwa submitted that the Data Services Protection Limited (DSPL) patented visitor’s book was selected amongst the most innovative NDPR product at 2021 Privacy Week organised by NITDA. The visitor’s book pages are duplicates and works by making personal details on the visitor’s book invisible on the first page while capturing the data on the duplicate page. This basic but ingenious visitor’s book is cheap in comparison with the expensive digital visitor’s management solutions.

He, however, noted that the visitors’ book is an addition to the processes of computing the visitors’ data electronically.

Among the highlights of the staff meeting was the presentation of a plaque of recognition to the staff of the quarter Mr. Peter Chucks Emakpor, a staff of the e-Government Training Center, Kubwa, Abuja, by the Director-General.

DG NITDA Receives MTN CEO, Urges More Collaboration To Encourage Innovation

DG NITDA Receives MTN CEO, Urges More Collaboration To Encourage Innovation

The Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE has today received the newly appointed MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr karl Toriola and his team at the Agency’s corporate headquarters.

Mr Toriola was at the Agency to familiarize himself with the activities of NITDA and to further strengthen the partnership already existing between the Agency and organisation
The DG NITDA while addressing the team stated that MTN is one of the supporting organisation that has helped the Agency in achieving some of its set goals. Adding that “as such, we need to find ways we can work hand in hand in terms of regulations and make sure what we do is in the best interest of the public.”

“The regulation we do is not to discourage innovation or to limit you rather our regulations are developmental regulations which helps to unlock opportunities and to also create an enabling environment for you and others players”, he added.

Mallam Abdullahi said that NITDA’s regulations are form in two ways either the Agency deciding on what and what to set as regulations or they sit with the industry players to decide on what kind of regulations can be made.

He said that human capital development is one of the key areas the agency is focusing on “as we need to train our people to understand the new technologies before we develop and use it.” In this regards, the DG NITDA urged MTN to collaborate with the Agency to train as many persons as possible.

“In terms of infrastructure, we have done a lot in that aspect as we have provide infrastructure to under served and unserved communities because you need to have infrastructure to be able to connect to the service. As business people, I urged you to create an avenue where people are easily and freely connected to the service as it will create more users and in turn generate more fund”, he said.

NITDA Boss applauded MTN for doing its best in the area of compliance and commended the company for the prompt payment of its levies.
Speaking earlier, Mr Toriola asserted that the MTN Nigeria Privacy and Data Protection service has been developed and adopted by the board. He said, “It has been deployed across our business and with constant engagement with NITDA officials who have provided us with necessary support and guidance, we have carried out an audit of our privacy data compliance practices with the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations requirements.

He stated that the data breach management has been developed and deployed adding that the company has embarked on a programme that will promote local content in Nigeria which includes ecosystem support to provide ICT innovation, STEM to accelerate local innovations.

Gov Badaru Calls For Youths’ Involvement In Critical Thinking, As Pantami Commends Jigawa For Digital Economy Drive

Gov Badaru Calls For Youths’ Involvement In Critical Thinking, As Pantami Commends Jigawa For Digital Economy Drive

The Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubukar, has urged Nigerian youths to key into the digital technologies and focus more on critical thinking in order to find solutions for Nigeria’s economic and security challenges, according him that is the only way to move the country forward.

Governor Badaru made this call at the 1st Jigawa Innovation Summit with the theme: ‘Creating a Viable Innovative Ecosystem for Economic Development’ organised by the state government in collaboration with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Youth Coalition for Development (YCD), an NGO that canvasses youth engagement in changing the status quo for the betterment of Nigerians.

The governor said it is only through critical thinking that the minds of Nigerian youths can be opened, so that they can look around their environment and see the opportunities around them that they can turn into business and create jobs, adding that the more problems are being solved, the more income can be generated.

He further said that the vision and focus is to bring world of innovations to the state, noting that oil economy is almost over because of what is happening around the globe – electric cars are on the rise, solar energy is becoming cheaper, wind energy becoming supportive, and the unknown fuel energy-drive currently ongoing can surely drop the demand of oil, and if this happens, national income will continue to decline and that will affect all the states of the federation, including Jigawa.

“We have to look at the areas where we have competitiveness and see how best we can make our economy work through those areas. Like I have always said, we can achieve this largely in Agriculture. We have vast land and water for irrigation in Jigawa. We will continue to focus on how to develop Agriculture and its value chain.

“I want to challenge this Summit to see how best we can to improve in what we are doing and how best we can to create jobs around the value chains in Nigeria digitally.

“We have Informatics Kazaure that produced so many IT professionals in the country. So I expect this Summit to bring to our table advises in our educational arena so that we can do more in developing our youth by making them employers, not just employee,” he added.

While delivering his speech, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), commended Jigawa State for its drive in Digital Economy, noting that the State Government showed its willingness to support the effort of the Federal Government and collaboration in order to develop indigenous digital economy in the country.

Dr Pantami said the rate of unemployment in the country motivated Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to think outside the box by focusing more on creating potential employers rather than potential employees.

He said, “If you enrolled people in university and they graduated without sufficient skills, they will never be self-reliant, they will always go around looking for jobs. But when you provide digital skills for your citizens, they will be employers of others, which Jigawa Innovation Summit should also focus on.

The minister cited Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, second richest person in the world, as the perfect example potential employer, who million of people are working under him.

He stated how Netherland used digital technology to boost its agricultural activities despite having lesser landmass compare to some states in Nigeria. He added that if Jigawa State deploy digital innovation to agriculture it will go along the way in creating many jobs and generating revenue for Federal and State Government.

On his part, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, while giving a Keynote Address, recalled that the journey to Innovation Summit is more exciting than the theme of the event, because the journey started in January last year when the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) commissioned Hadejia Community IT Centre.

He said, “While delivering his Keynote Address at the commissioning, the Honourable Minister explained potential benefit of Digital Economy in our country and Jigawa State in general. Our governor showed interest in Jigawa State’s readiness to embrace the initiative, and the Honourable Minister responded positively by directing me to engage all the stakeholders to ensure Jigawa benefit immensely from Digital Economy.”

“Whatever the state government, ministry and NITDA are doing are in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification agenda, therefore all the credits should go to Mr President, because he campaigned before election and after he was voted to lead the country, he appointed my boss and mentor as minister, who also recommended me for this position,” he added.

Mallam Abdullahi opined that with new measures being put in place in regard to innovation and also what Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar is doing in the state, Jigawa is in the forefront of zero-oil revenue.

He explained that innovation has been generally defined as the processing and taking idea from inception to impact, adding that innovation is not all about Information Technology, it is also something that has to do with invention, in terms commercialisation, business model, customer experience and organisational structure.

The DG said the event organised by Jigawa State Government in collaboration NITDA and YCD, attended by IT experts, entrepreneurs, academia, private sectors and other stakeholders is put heads together and look for competitive advantage in Jigawa; look at what each local government has, and come up with a strategy that can help unlock opportunities and create prosperity for the citizens.

“Jigawa State has a lot of potentials in terms of agricultural resources. Jigawa is the largest producer of dates, hibiscus and gum Arabic in Nigeria, and largest producer of sesames in the whole of Africa. The state also stands third in rice production, and we are utilising less than 10% of our arable land. Recently, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Jigawa, Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar negotiated with stakeholders from Mexico to boost hibiscus production, which is a big plus for us as a nation.”

“All these can be achieved through digital technologies; this is why we are building IT centres across the country. So far, we have established 18 IT community centres out of 27 local governments, and we will build in the remaining ones. This is to prepare our future generation and create job opportunities, not only government jobs, but for youths to become self-reliant.

“We are coming with strategy where the state government can provide enabling environment that will unlock opportunities. In some countries, government job is the last resort, because you will make more money in business than in government; you will have more time in your private business than government,” he concluded.