NITDA’s Digital Revolution: Catalysing Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda Through Technology

NITDA’s Digital Revolution: Catalysing Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda Through Technology

“You can’t delegate digital transformation for your company… You and your executives have to own it! Executives need to engage, embrace and adopt new ways of working with the latest and emerging technologies.” – Barry Ross

By Matthew Eloyi

As Nigeria forges ahead under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the promise of the Renewed Hope Agenda has found a remarkable champion in the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Tasked with the pivotal role of spearheading the nation’s digital transformation, NITDA’s performance in the last two years has exceeded expectations, setting a benchmark for innovation, digital inclusion, and socio-economic empowerment through technology.

From integrating digital literacy in schools to deploying state-of-the-art infrastructure and shaping policies that bolster Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, NITDA has played a central role in actualising the president’s vision of a prosperous, tech-driven Nigeria.

NITDA’s aggressive push to embed digital literacy at all levels of society is a bold declaration that the future belongs to those who can navigate the digital world. The agency collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate digital literacy into the curriculum of primary and junior secondary schools across the country. This nationwide effort is expected to cultivate a generation of digitally fluent students, positioning them for the global digital economy.

Under its Digital Literacy for All initiative, NITDA launched massive training programmes across the six geopolitical zones. 166,199 beneficiaries were trained through the Digital Economy Employability Program (DEEP) in 2023, while 50,000 Nigerians acquired foundational digital skills through the DL4ALL initiative. These efforts are geared toward achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030—a target fully aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda’s ambition for widespread human capital development.

NITDA’s commitment to inclusivity is evident in its female-focused and specialised training programmes. Through the Female Founders Training (FFT) initiative, 30 women-led startups from all six geopolitical zones received entrepreneurial and digital skill training, contributing to bridging the gender gap in the tech ecosystem. Similarly, 402 young girls were empowered through the Gina Mata, Gina Al-Umma programme, which equipped them with skills in digital content creation.

On the occasion of the International Girls in ICT Day in 2024, the agency trained 100 secondary school girls, a clear testament to its commitment to women and girls’ inclusion in digital development. Under the Renewed Hope Initiative, 288 women completed digital skill training tailored to female entrepreneurs and professionals.

Additionally, NITDA targeted other crucial segments of the society. Artisans, farmers, teachers, and public servants were all included. Notably, 420 artisans across the country were trained in digital content creation and entrepreneurship, 200 teachers in four states received upskilling, and 813 public servants across 35 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) were trained on e-governance, paving the way for more responsive and efficient public service delivery.

Amid growing global cyber threats, NITDA took a proactive approach in enhancing Nigeria’s cybersecurity posture. 35,917 Nigerians completed CISCO-certified cybersecurity programmes in areas such as ethical hacking, endpoint security, and network defence.

October 2024 marked a significant milestone as NITDA organised a Cybersecurity Awareness Month filled with workshops, stakeholder collaborations, and media campaigns, all aimed at fostering safe online practices. The agency also supported innovation in the cybersecurity space by organising regional challenges across ECOWAS member states, with 5,341 participants and five innovative cybersecurity solutions presented.

In 2023 alone, NITDA thwarted 62 hacking attempts and 97 phishing incidents targeting federal MDA websites, showcasing its robust defensive capabilities. A total of 162 cyber threat detections were recorded, and 37 public advisories were issued, reinforcing public trust in the agency’s vigilance.

NITDA as the clearing House of IT Projects in Nigeria is mandated to clear all IT Projects in line with the policy objectives of the Federal Government to maximize transparency and accountability in carrying out IT Projects by Public Institutions. In 2023, a total of 181  IT Projects were cleared and ₦259,731,102,012.45 saved. The agency also cleared a total of 228 IT projects  in 2024 and saved ₦5,037,482,512.72.

NITDA recognises that digital transformation cannot occur without robust infrastructure. In the last two years, it completed the deployment of 80 e-learning solutions and commissioned eight ICT community centres across states including Jigawa, Kano, Ogun, Oyo, Niger, Benue, Kwara, and Lagos. These centres serve as technology hubs, offering training and resources for underserved communities.

In 2023, a total of 28 Digital Economy Centres were operational across several states, including Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Additionally, nine Community IT Training Centres were active in Bauchi, Kaduna, Guni, Jigawa, Niger, Benue, Kano, Gombe, and Oyo. Expansion efforts for 2024 included the establishment of 22 new Digital Economy Centres in Abia, the FCT, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and the FCT.

The agency also completed a well-equipped CBT centre in Kogi State and ICT equipping projects in Gombe and the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS). Under the Outsource for Nigeria Initiative (OTNI), the Gombe project exemplifies how digital hubs can boost employment and skill acquisition in regions that traditionally lag behind in tech infrastructure.

NITDA has emerged as a thought leader in the formulation of policies that govern Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. The agency facilitated the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy to position Nigeria in the global AI ecosystem, focusing on ethical adoption and national competitiveness.

Its IPv6 Adoption Summit was a forward-looking event aimed at ensuring Nigeria’s internet infrastructure aligns with global standards, catering to future connectivity demands.

Major tech firms: Meta, Google, TikTok, and X submitted compliance reports to NITDA, reinforcing the agency’s regulatory authority. NITDA also revised and audited the National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), completed recertification of ISO27001:2013, and increased awareness on the Trustmark process for e-commerce providers, further establishing trust in Nigeria’s digital services.

Under the Nigeria Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) initiative, 200 smallholder farmers have been onboarded and trained in precision agriculture and climate-smart farming practices. To date, more than 450 farmers have directly benefited from the program, with over 1,500 indirect jobs created as a result.

Through the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support Scheme (TIES), NITDA provided scholarships and funding opportunities, while also supporting startups at major global platforms such as GITEX North Star 2023. These efforts not only boosted the visibility of Nigerian innovations but also attracted foreign investment. Additionally, 10,943 beneficiaries were trained under the NITDA-Coursera partnership between 2023 and 2025.

In a related effort to boost global trade and startup growth, NITDA co-manages the Tech Export & Digital Trade Desk alongside Federal Ministry of Communications Innovations and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (FMITI), with a focus on expanding Nigerian startups through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and global markets. Since its inception, the desk has engaged over 70 startups through two dedicated programs and facilitated more than 10 key connections between startups, partners, and regulators. The initiative also led to the development and dissemination of the AfCFTA Startup Guide and promoted a public-private partnership with NIPOST to enhance logistics for tech-driven trade.

NITDA’s active involvement in prominent global technology events—including GITEX, Digital Nigeria, and the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV)—has significantly enhanced Nigeria’s international reputation in the tech space. Demonstrating its dedication to knowledge exchange and intellectual growth, the agency also sponsored five Nigerian researchers to participate in the 17th edition of ICEGOV, held in 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa.

The trajectory NITDA has charted under the Renewed Hope Agenda is one of audacity, vision, and inclusivity. It is a story of how a nation, through the resolve of a strategic agency, is reclaiming its future by digitising its present. Every classroom connected, every artisan trained, every woman empowered, and every cybersecurity threat neutralised is a testament to the agency’s transformative impact.

As the digital revolution gathers momentum, NITDA remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s journey towards a resilient, knowledge-based economy. It is no longer a question of if Nigeria will lead Africa’s digital future—but how soon.