The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has challenged the Nigerian Army to move beyond treating data management as a mere record-keeping exercise and begin leveraging data as a strategic tool for intelligence gathering, operational planning and decision-making.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, gave the charge while delivering a keynote presentation titled, “From Data to Decision Advantage: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Warfare,” at a Data Management and Record-Keeping Seminar organised by the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary in Abuja.
Abdullahi said the effective management and analysis of data could provide the military with critical intelligence and actionable insights capable of strengthening operational effectiveness and enhancing decision-making at both command and battlefield levels.
He urged the Army to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strategic and tactical tool for defence operations, noting that AI-powered systems could significantly improve the speed, accuracy and quality of military decisions by enabling the rapid collation, analysis and verification of vast amounts of information.
“Globally, the defence industry is changing due to the disruptive power of technology. So, we need to look beyond just using data for record-keeping to start thinking of using data management for intelligence and strategic military operations,” he said.
The NITDA DG added that AI could be integrated into military operations to transform raw data into strategic and tactical information for effective decision-making.
He stressed the need for the Army to rethink its approach to digital transformation by paying equal attention to its people, processes and the technologies required to achieve institutional transformation.
Abdullahi also called for the wider adoption of emerging technologies across Nigeria’s security and defence architecture, describing technology as a critical component of national defence readiness rather than a peripheral upgrade.
He further urged the Nigerian military to develop dedicated defence digital infrastructure and data centres, stressing the importance of reducing dependence on civilian entities for the development of critical defence technologies.
According to him, the Nigerian Army should strengthen collaboration with government agencies and the indigenous technology ecosystem to develop home-grown defence technologies capable of addressing the country’s security challenges.
“The Nigerian Army has to consider ways of collaborating with other government agencies and the indigenous tech innovation ecosystem to build defence technology that can help us defend our nation,” he said.
On capacity building, the NITDA chief emphasised the need to equip military personnel with the digital skills required to operate effectively in an increasingly data- and AI-driven security environment.
He announced that NITDA would provide training and capacity-building programmes to enhance the digital competencies of military personnel and enable them to effectively harness emerging technologies for tactical and operational purposes.
Abdullahi reaffirmed NITDA’s commitment to supporting the Nigerian military and strengthening national security through strategic technology adoption, digital transformation and indigenous innovation.
