Kashifu Inuwa: Getting Tinubu’s Stamp for Unrivalled Feats at NITDA

Kashifu Inuwa: Getting Tinubu’s Stamp for Unrivalled Feats at NITDA

On Thursday, October 12, 2023, the cheery information broke that Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi had been reappointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because the Director Normal of the Nationwide Info Know-how Growth Company (NITDA).

Inuwa, who turned the NITDA helmsman in August of 2019 beneath the earlier administration, retains his place in what might be considered a welcome improvement and an affirmation of the distinctive achievements of the enduring IT innovation professional.

It’s value recalling that the catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak struck the nation only a few months following Inuwa’s first appointment.

However the (then) new Chief Govt Officer of NITDA noticed the COVID-19 disaster as a frightening problem that requires an revolutionary and strategic strategy for the nation to beat.

Working in collaboration with the supervising Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Financial system now often known as the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Financial system (FMCIDE), NITDA beneath Inuwa rose to the problem.

Creditably, NITDA, in partnership with the Ministry, deployed a number of digital applied sciences to make sure that the Federal Authorities might proceed with the enterprise of governance and administration.

Following the Ministry’s launch of the Nationwide Digital Financial system Coverage and Technique (NDEPS) in 2019, Inuwa and his group labored assiduously to develop the Strategic Roadmap and Motion Plan (SRAP 2021 – 2024), which might help the NDEPS in attaining its targets and targets of accelerating the expansion of Nigeria’s digital economic system.

Programmes and initiatives that assist digital inclusion, expertise improvement, entrepreneurial development, job creation, and enhanced entry to very important IT infrastructure nationwide have been carried out beneath the steerage of the SRAP.

To this point, the SRAP has efficiently recorded a number of milestones and achievements in all its focus areas amounting to the implementation of 64% of its initiatives.

NITDA’s strategic initiatives have been essential in rising the Info and Communication Know-how (ICT) sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Home Product (GDP), which was 18.44 per cent within the second quarter of 2022.

Based on the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the sector’s contribution grew to 19.54 per cent within the second quarter of 2023. The NBS additionally reported that the ICT sector grew by an unprecedented 8.6 per cent year-on-year within the second quarter of 2023 over that of 2022. NITDA is taking part in essential roles within the profitable development of the nation’s ICT sector.

Worthy of observe, beneath Inuwa’s stewardship, worldwide buyers have additionally elevated their curiosity in Nigerian digital startup ecosystem. The nation attracted over 4 billion USD in funding into the ICT ecosystem between 2019–2022.

Previously 4 years beneath Inuwa’s management, the IT Venture Clearance Initiative has saved over ₦311 billion for the Federal Authorities by guaranteeing that authorities IT tasks are appropriately priced and bogus gear just isn’t acquired by varied Ministries, Departments and Businesses (MDAs). This initiative has vetted and cleared 988 distinctive IT tasks from over 393 MDAs.

Whereas taking the Company’s function as an trade catalyst under consideration, Inuwa additionally centered on enabling the non-public sector to create a vibrant, revolutionary digital ecosystem within the nation. Throughout his first tenure, the re-appointed Director Normal upped the ante by issuing a substantial variety of frameworks and tips aimed toward selling Nigeria’s IT trade and its enterprises.

In 2021, NITDA launched the Nationwide Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) operations – one other essential initiative for the federal government and trade to strengthen nationwide cybersecurity.
NITDA’s unprecedented assist for digital startups might be highlighted by the institution of the Workplace for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) and the Nationwide Centre for Synthetic Intelligence and robotic (NCAIR).

By means of these Particular Objective Autos (SPVs), the Company has facilitated the supply of seed funding for startups via assist programmes and initiatives akin to GITEX World, LEAP, and Intra-African Commerce Truthful to the tune of US$373,000 and ₦382 million.

Moreover, the Company facilitated the attendance of 40 Nigerian startups at a number of native digital and ICT occasions and supported 49 startups for innovation acceleration via the Bridge to MassChallenge (B2MC) Nigeria programme, ideaHatch (iHatch) incubation programme, and Subsequent Innovation with Japan (NINJA) programme, to say however just a few.

The in depth efforts and expenditure on ICT and Digital coaching included coaching of 20 startups via the North-East Startup Coaching (NEST) Programme and 74 startups via the Know-how Innovation and Entrepreneurship Help (TIES) Scheme.

Inuwa has additionally proven lots of dedication to coaching the nation’s youth in IT/Digital abilities in any respect ranges. Within the final 4 years, varied multi-sectoral capacity-building programmes have been launched to advertise digital literacy and abilities.

To this point, over 3 million Nigerians have been skilled beneath these programmes. Below Inuwa’s management, NITDA has partnered with the Tertiary Schooling Belief Fund (TETFUND), state and native governments, and the Federal Capital Territory to coach younger Nigerians in ICT and related digital abilities for a number of years.

In 2022, 300 secondary faculty college students within the FCT have been skilled by NITDA in Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a enterprise undertaken in collaboration with the Abuja Enterprise Company (AEA).

Moreover, NITDA additionally collaborated with the World Financial institution (for women-focused tech abilities coaching); Nigerian Export Promotion Council (for non-oil centered Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises coaching); Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company (for startup incubation); Domineum Blockchain Options (for blockchain expertise coaching for teenagers); the USA Consulate Normal (for collaboration on technical development and innovation in Africa); and the Clayton Christensen Institute (for framework improvement on sustainable initiatives).

Inuwa has introduced his wealthy skilled expertise to bear on his job as Director Normal of NITDA. Below his watch, the unwavering assist for younger innovators via grants and scholarships has occasioned the expansion in leap and bounds of the Nigerian data expertise and digital ecosystem.

The NITDA Director Normal additionally coordinated the reforms to reposition the Company to “meet the challenges of the trade into the long run.” Thus, he initiated a reform programme for NITDA in 2021, which has been efficiently carried out.

Inside the identical interval, a brand new NITDA model identification was launched, together with the launch of the iServe constitution, committing the Company and its employees to raised customer support supply.

Not too long ago, he additionally initiated the method of incomes one other ISO27001:13 Certification of NITDA’s processes after the milestone of being the primary Federal Public Establishment to realize the milestone way back to 2019. NITDA stays one of many few authorities companies to have earned the certification.

Reacting to Inuwa’s re-appointment because the Director Normal of NITDA, Sola Bickersteth, an IT professional and Govt Director, Monetary Inclusion Centre, Abuja, stated, “NITDA has efficiently standardized the procurement of ICT options by authorities and the creation of the Nigeria Knowledge Safety Fee is among the key achievements of Kashifu Abdullahi.”

Bickersteth additionally commends Abdullahi’s super assist for younger innovators within the nation’s ICT and Digital trade.

With a relentless innovator akin to Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi reappointed by the Tinubu administration as NITDA’s helmsman, Nigeria ought to sit up for rising a vibrant IT trade.

Labaran Saleh
Kofar Famfo Kano