The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has posited that strategic partnership with various higher institutions across Nigeria are critical to nurturing innovation ecosystems, equipping citizens with practical skills, and positioning Nigeria as a hub for technology-driven development.
This position was taken when the management team of Yakubu Gowon University (UniAbuja), led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a familiarisation visit to the agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the visit, Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, noted that commiting to advancing integrated research across Nigerian universities to develop technology-driven solutions will help to solve real-life local problems across various sectors.
He said NITDA is ready to partner with the Yakubu Gowon University (UniAbuja) and other tertiary institutions, highlighting the importance of increased investment in research as the foundation for leveraging emerging technologies to foster inclusive economic growth and technological innovation.
“We need to invest more in in-depth research with universities to build a robust research ecosystem that will help us develop solutions. Research will focus on harnessing AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity, and Cloud technology, among other emerging technologies, to improve our lives and grow our digital economy,” he said.
Earlier, the Yakubu Gowon University (UniAbuja) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Fawehinmi, explained that the purpose of their visit was to seek NITDA’s partnership and support to improve digital infrastructure for educational training within the institution, expressing gratitude for NITDA’s contributions to the Digital Geoscience Centre.
He assured that the institution is eager to partner with NITDA in joint research projects, capacity-building initiatives, and innovation programmes that align with NITDA’s vision of leveraging technology to drive socio-economic growth.
“We could go into partnership with you to provide data, collaborative engagements, staff exchanges, joint research hubs, so that we can produce high-level human resources. The university is committed to serving as a strategic academic partner to NITDA by providing academic expertise required to advance your national digital transformation initiatives,” Fawehinmi promised.