The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for stronger partnerships and renewed stakeholder commitment to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
The agency said effective collaboration among stakeholders was critical to implementing its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2.0 and achieving sustainable growth in the country’s digital ecosystem.
NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, made the call at the SRAP 2.0 Stakeholders’ Engagement held at Lagos Business School, Lagos State.
Inuwa, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties Directorate, Dr Aristotle Onumo, commended the institution’s leadership for sustaining its partnership with the agency.
He said the roadmap was developed through extensive consultations with stakeholders, including members of Lagos Business School, stressing that their continued involvement was necessary to ensure effective implementation.
According to him, the engagement provided an opportunity to assess progress, review existing priorities, identify areas requiring adjustments and determine whether ongoing initiatives were delivering their intended results.
He added that the review would also help the agency evaluate its performance against commitments made to stakeholders and ensure its programmes remained responsive to the changing needs of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
The NITDA boss noted that the agency was gradually transforming into an ecosystem platform for digital innovation, with greater emphasis on collaboration and co-creation rather than relying solely on regulations, directives and guidelines.
He said the approach would enable the agency to work more closely with stakeholders in developing and implementing digital solutions capable of delivering broader economic and societal benefits.
Inuwa explained that NITDA had spent the past three years advancing the transition and was approaching its final phase, urging stakeholders to sustain the momentum and strengthen their commitment to achieving the desired outcomes.
He reaffirmed the agency’s vision of building a digitally enabled Nigeria that promotes inclusive economic development through technological innovation.
According to him, the eight strategic pillars underpinning SRAP 2.0 remain central to achieving the vision and would continue to guide the agency’s priorities and interventions.
He urged stakeholders to critically assess progress in key areas, including digital skills development, regulatory effectiveness, digital infrastructure and services, entrepreneurship, innovation and the growth of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem.
The director-general also highlighted the need to evaluate the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act and its contribution to strengthening the startup community and promoting innovation-driven enterprises.
On stakeholder participation, he stressed the importance of ensuring that relevant players across the digital ecosystem were involved in the implementation process.
Inuwa expressed confidence that sustained partnerships, collective commitment and constructive contributions would help NITDA address emerging challenges, improve implementation and advance Nigeria’s digital development goals.
He urged stakeholders to embrace the collaborative approach and work collectively towards building a digitally enabled Nigeria capable of driving digital transformation across Africa.
