The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says it plans to reposition Nigeria’s technology ecosystem to emerge as a global digital talent powerhouse.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, said this on Wednesday at a media parley with the theme “Exceptional Media Relations, Strengthening Bonds Beyond Headlines” in Abuja.

The media parley aimed to discuss NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (2024-2027).

Inuwa said the roadmap was designed in line with President Bola Tinubu’s eight priority areas targeted at diversifying the nation’s economy.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy also rolled out five strategic objectives to achieve development in the IT sector.

The NITDA boss said the agency crafted the eight pillars of the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan as a comprehensive document that reflected its commitment to uplifting Nigeria to a premier status in the global digital economy.

He said this would be done by harnessing the potential of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Inuwa said the agency had also developed the National Digital Literacy Framework in line with the first pillar, which was aimed at fostering digital literacy and cultivating talents.

According to him, the framework has an ambitious target of achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, and that can make us surpass India in technology, among other initiatives.

“We are working with the Ministry of Education to review the curriculum across the formal education, from nursery to university so that we can infuse digital literacy in our formal education.

“By doing that, we can empower Nigerians to have digital skills before graduating.

“We are also conceptualising other initiatives which include the Digital Literacy for All Initiative which will be unveiled soon,” the Director-General said.

He added that the initiative would ensure Nigerians were educated on IT outside the formal education and have access to quality digital content.

The Director-General said that apart from digital literacy, the agency was working to ensure digital sovereignty and develop all digital innovation in the country.

He recalled that India started brain export about 20 years ago, adding that “presently, almost 25 per cent of sea level executives in big technology companies are Indians and they have dominated the global technology ecosystem.

“Nigeria can do the same because we have an even more competitive advantage than India. We have the population, better accent, better time zone and if we position ourselves, we can beat India in technology.”

The NITDA boss added that the agency had a mid-term target of achieving 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027.

He said that the strategic plan intended to position Nigeria as a digitally inclined nation in line with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the present administration.

Tijani Reveals $2bn Investment Needed to Expand Fibre Optics Across Nigeria

In an exclusive interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, the Minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed that the comprehensive installation of fibre optics cables across Nigeria would require an estimated $2 billion investment.

During the interview, Minister Tijani also addressed the state of advanced technology in Nigeria, confirming the presence of the Fifth-Generation (5G) network. However, he emphasized that the infrastructure supporting this technology is not universally accessible within the country.

“We do have 5G in some places,” Minister Tijani affirmed. “The infrastructure that drives 5G is not something that is across the nation. So, if you subscribe to 5G and move into locations where the infrastructure cannot support it, the quality will drop. 5G exists in Nigeria, and there are telcos with the license.”

Highlighting the government’s efforts to enhance connectivity, Minister Tijani outlined plans to increase the length of fibre optics cables in Nigeria from the current 35 to 40 kilometres to an ambitious target of 95,000 kilometres. He estimated the cost of this extensive wiring project at approximately $1.5 billion to $2 billion.

With a vision for transformative progress under his leadership, Minister Tijani expressed optimism about achieving the goal of wiring Nigeria within the first four years of the President Bola Tinubu administration. He emphasized the government’s focus on connecting essential institutions, including schools, hospitals, and government offices, to the fibre optic network.

Minister Tijani also discussed ongoing initiatives to declare telecoms infrastructure as critical national assets, aiming to safeguard against vandalism and ensure the sustained development of Nigeria’s digital connectivity landscape.

Tijani Reveals $2bn Investment Needed to Expand Fibre Optics Across Nigeria

Truecaller appoints Ogochukwu Onwuzurike as Country Manager in Nigeria

A global communications platform, Truecaller, has appointed Ogochukwu Onwuzurike as Country Manager in Nigeria.

Onwuzurike’s appointment was disclosed in a statement on Friday in Lagos State.

According to the statement, Onwuzurike would be responsible for leading the company’s go-to-market function and managing the end-to-end operations of Truecaller’s expansion in Nigeria.

The organisation added that Onwuzurike would be saddled with the responsibility of negotiating and collaborating with vendors, service providers and local businesses, with the ultimate goal of making Truecaller a household name in Nigeria.

“The appointee has over a decade of prior experience across verticals such as banking, payments, fintech and SaaS, with GlaxoSmithKline, Philip Morris International, Interswitch and MetaMap,” the statement read.

It said that she has a degree in Communications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Business from Emeritus Institute of Management.

The newly appointed Country Manager, according to the statement, said: “A new generation of companies and tools are changing the way we live our lives today.

“On the back of the digital transformation wave across the African continent, there is a need to continue to build the trust, privacy and safety infrastructure. This is what I find fascinating about Truecaller’s mission.

“Creating safe spaces, including digital and communication spaces, is imperative for a prosperous Africa and I am inspired to join Truecaller and other change-makers to build that reality for my continent.”

Nami Zarringhalam, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Truecaller, said that the company would benefit from Onwuzurike’s wealth of experience.

Zarringhalam noted that Truecaller had wanted to add local expertise and regional knowledge in Nigeria, noting that appointing Onwuzurike would enhance those capabilities further.

“We have clear ambitions to further grow the promising African market, by delivering our class-leading caller ID and spam-blocking functionality, as well as cater to the needs of the diverse businesses that operate in the region.

“Truecaller has seen increased growth coming from Africa, Latin America, as well as parts of South-East Asia in 2023.

“During the last quarter, Truecaller surpassed 100 million users outside of India. The ambition, going forward, is to focus on specific markets like Nigeria by recruiting top talent to accelerate the organic growth even further,” Zarringhalam said.

Truecaller appoints Ogochukwu Onwuzurike as Country Manager in Nigeria