Nigeria is deliberately positioning itself to play a leading role in the emerging global economy by developing the policies, strategies, talents and innovation ecosystem needed to move beyond technology adoption to technology creation.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, stated this at GITEX Nigeria in Lagos, where he outlined Nigeria’s ambition to become a creator, scaler and exporter of cutting-edge technological solutions.
Inuwa said the future economy would increasingly be driven by human intelligence, creativity, knowledge and the capacity to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges.
He identified Nigeria’s greatest asset as its human capital, stressing that digital literacy, talent development and deep-tech research must remain central to the nation’s economic transformation agenda.
According to him, Nigeria is strengthening its focus on emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, robotics, blockchain, unmanned aerial vehicles and additive manufacturing.
He explained that these technologies have the potential to enhance productivity, create new economic opportunities and transform key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The NITDA Director-General said the country’s ambition was not merely to consume or adopt emerging technologies, but to build the capacity to develop and scale homegrown solutions capable of competing in international markets.
He added that a technology-driven economy would create opportunities for Nigerian innovators and young people while strengthening the country’s position in the global digital ecosystem.
Inuwa reaffirmed that Nigeria’s strategic direction was clear: to build a nation that does not simply adopt the technologies of tomorrow, but creates, scales and exports solutions capable of shaping the future economy.
