The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening research collaboration with Nigerian universities to develop technology-driven solutions to local challenges.
The Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said this when the management of Yakubu Gowon University (UniAbuja), led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, visited the agency in Abuja.
He said NITDA is ready to partner with universities to build innovation ecosystems, develop skills, and position Nigeria as a tech-driven economy, stressing the need for stronger investment in research.
“We need to invest more in research with universities to build solutions using AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud technologies to grow our digital economy,” he said.
Abdullahi added that universities are key to Nigeria’s digital transformation, noting, “We cannot achieve our vision without talented Nigerians. We must work with institutions like yours to build talent.”
He also called for the integration of artificial intelligence into tertiary education, saying AI should be embedded across disciplines to equip students with practical skills.
“We can introduce AI as a general course and include its elements across all fields of study,” he said.
He disclosed that NITDA is already working with the Federal Ministry of Education, NUC, NBTE and NCCE to integrate digital literacy into education at all levels.
Earlier, Prof. Fawehinmi said the visit aimed to seek stronger partnership with NITDA to improve digital infrastructure for teaching and research.
He thanked NITDA for its support to the Digital Geoscience Centre and called for deeper collaboration through joint research, staff exchanges and innovation hubs.
“We are committed to partnering with NITDA to produce high-level human resources and support national digital transformation,” he said.
