NITDA DG Urges Bold Digital Investment to Power Africa’s Economic Future

L-R: Ronell Govender of Naspers; Ani Charles Bassey-Eyo of LANI Group; Manjit Dhillon of Helios Towers; Hannah Hanawanza-Redders of Data for Change Foundation; Sam Rolland of Economist Intelligence Corporate Network; and NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, during the panel session on “Digital Infrastructure for Jobs and Trade in Africa” at the 2nd Annual Sustainability Week Africa held in Cape Town, South Africa.

NITDA DG Urges Bold Digital Investment to Power Africa’s Economic Future

By Gloria Sarauniya Usman

ABUJA, NIGERIA October, 2025 -

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has called for massive investment in Africa’s digital infrastructure, describing computing power as the new engine of economic growth and competitiveness. He made this appeal at the 2nd Annual Sustainability Week Africa, held at The Westin, Cape Town, South Africa, where he spoke on Digital Infrastructure for Jobs and Trade in Africa.

Inuwa stressed that Africa’s economic independence depends on building its own “compute capacity,” warning that the continent cannot afford to continue exporting raw data to be processed elsewhere. “In the 21st century, compute power is a primary factor of production, and we cannot rely on exporting our raw data to other regions to process it and build products for us,” he said. He urged African governments to emulate Europe’s collaborative approach to developing supercomputers and AI factories by creating incentives that attract private sector investment.

Highlighting Nigeria’s progress, Inuwa revealed that over 130 million Nigerians have been captured under the national digital identity system, with ongoing efforts to establish a national data exchange platform and a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Centre of Excellence. These initiatives, he said, aim to enhance interoperability, data security, and innovation, serving as a model for other African nations. “We are pushing for a DPI centre where people can build APIs, data exchange systems, and best practices for Africa,” he added.

On digital literacy, the NITDA boss reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 and 70% by 2027 through the National Digital Literacy Framework. He noted that digital skills training is now integrated into schools and the civil service, with partnerships involving Cisco and the NYSC to empower youth, women, and entrepreneurs.

Inuwa concluded by urging governments, private sector players, and development partners to harmonise digital standards and co-create inclusive solutions. “Africa’s strength lies in collaboration. If we build our digital rails together, our youth will drive Africa straight into the heart of the global digital economy,” he affirmed.