To address national difficulties with innovation and state-of-the-art technology, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has renewed its commitment to promoting collaboration among researchers, technological specialists, and academia, according to Director General Kashifu Inuwa.
Inuwa made this statement during a visit by the management of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, to NITDA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
He underlined the significance of improved cooperation between scholars, engineers, and businesspeople to tackle urgent national concerns like infrastructure, public health, and environmental sustainability.
According to him, this supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places a high priority on digital transformation and giving students skills they will need in the future, as well as NITDA’s mission to create a strong technology research ecosystem with an emphasis on digital literacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and research and development (R&D).
To institutionalise this partnership, NITDA and NSUK have agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive impactful initiatives and ensure sustainable, long-term collaboration between the two organisations.
The partnership is expected to accelerate innovation in Nigeria’s tech sector, empower students with digital skills, and contribute to national development through research-driven solutions.
Inuwa further highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) beyond office automation, particularly in healthcare and agriculture, saying, “Imagine developing a bot that can provide quality health services to our remote areas. One of the challenges we are facing in our healthcare system is the lack of professionals. It’s difficult to get specialist doctors everywhere, but AI can help fill this gap.”
He referenced a recent research study in Nigeria where AI-powered chatbots, such as ChatGPT, were tested against human doctors in providing medical prescriptions. The results showed that AI-generated prescriptions were often comparable to, and in some cases even better than, those provided by human doctors.
“This underscores the potential of AI in telemedicine, offering accessible and efficient healthcare services to underserved communities. Beyond healthcare, NITDA believes AI can drive innovations in agriculture, education, and other critical sectors, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to leveraging technology for national development,” he added.
In her earlier remarks, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman expressed deep appreciation to NITDA for its continued support in strengthening technology research, digital literacy, and innovation at the institution, while highlighting the significant gains from their collaboration with the agency.
“NSUK has been recognised as a pioneer participant in NITDA’s digital transformation program, a model that the National Universities Commission (NUC) is now working to extend to other universities across Nigeria.
“The university believes the initiative will be a huge success, aligning with its vision of equipping students with digital skills to meet global workforce demands.
“As part of our commitment to advancing technology education, NSUK has established a Digital Literacy Center at the Faculty of Engineering, where students are working on developing tech gadgets to enhance their skills and competitiveness on a global scale.
“Our goal is to ensure that our students are not only well-prepared for Nigeria but also globally competitive wherever they go,” she emphasised.
She further added that collaboration between NITDA and NSUK continues to strengthen Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the digital economy and future workforce.
