The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has been unveiled as Strategic Partner for the forthcoming Leadership and Future Conference (LFC) 2026, a national high-level policy dialogue convened to celebrate and interrogate transformative leadership under the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
The conference, themed “Re-emerging Nigeria’s Future with Transformative Leadership for Driving Digital Economy, Innovation and Sustainable National Development,” is scheduled to hold at the Landmark Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, with over 500 leaders drawn from government, private sector, diplomatic community, academia and civil society.
Organizers of the conference, in a statement, said NITDA’s partnership was strategic and well-deserved.
“We are proud to have NITDA on board with us. This will not be a one-off partnership,” the organizers stated.
According to the LFC Central Planning Committee, the choice of NITDA as Strategic Partner was based on its radical transformation under the leadership of its Director General/CEO, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE.
“NITDA under Kashifu has been transformed from a mere IT regulator to the engine room of Nigeria’s digital economy. The agency has moved from issuing regulations to creating jobs, building talents, and empowering startups. That is what transformative leadership means, and it aligns perfectly with the theme of LFC 2026,” the Committee Chairman stated.
The Committee cited NITDA’s flagship initiatives including the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, the Nigeria Startup Act implementation, the Digital Literacy for All Initiative, and the Agency’s support for over 1,200 startups through various innovation hubs across the six geo-political zones.
Digivation, the organizers of the Lagos Future Conference, said as Strategic Partner, NITDA will enjoy:
- National & Global Visibility: NITDA will be showcased as the leading Federal Government agency driving President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda in the digital economy sector before policymakers, investors, and development partners.
- Stakeholder Alignment: The platform provides NITDA direct access to State Governments, MDAs, private sector CEOs, and international donor agencies for the implementation of its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2024-2027).
- Investment Drive: The conference will serve as a deal-room for NITDA to attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, particularly in AI, Cybersecurity, and Broadband infrastructure.
- Institutional Honour: The partnership culminates in the conferment of awards and recognitions on transformational leaders.
The organizers, led by Dr. Bayero Agabi, Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS), noted that the collaboration will accelerate national development in three key ways:
a) Policy-to-Prosperity Bridge: LFC 2026 will translate NITDA’s digital policies into tangible economic benefits for Nigerian youths, with focus on job creation and wealth creation through digital skills.
b) Localization of Global Models: The conference will propose the establishment of a Digivation Institute of Technology (DIT) modeled after India’s IIT, to be championed by NITDA as a legacy talent factory for Nigeria.
c) Renewed Hope Amplification: By documenting and projecting NITDA’s success stories, the partnership will strengthen public confidence in the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda and inspire other agencies to emulate NITDA’s transformative model.
Speaking on the partnership, a senior official of NITDA said the Agency is committed to using the LFC platform to deepen digital literacy, promote indigenous innovation, and position Nigeria as Africa’s leading digital economy.
The LFC 2026 conference will also feature the unveiling of the LFC 100 Most Transformative Leaders in the Renewed Hope Era, with DG Kashifu Inuwa listed among top honourees.