"NITDA DG Urges Collaboration for Human and Infrastructural Development to Unlock Africa’s Tech Potential"
By Gloria Sarauniya Usman
LAGOS, NIGERIA October, 2024-
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has called on industry experts and tech start-ups to collaborate with the government in co-creating dynamic regulations that will drive human and infrastructural development, key to unlocking Africa's vast potential.
Inuwa made this appeal during the second edition of the Moonshot Tech Conference 2024, held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos. The event gathered some of the brightest minds in Africa’s tech sector to discuss critical issues affecting the continent's digital future.
Participating as a panellist on the theme “Building Digital Economies for the World: How African Countries are Shaping their Tech Economies to Compete Across the Continent and Globally,” Inuwa emphasized the need for a balanced approach between innovation and regulation. According to him, while innovation transforms ideas into impactful solutions, regulations ensure stability and sustainability.
“At NITDA, we’ve developed an intelligent regulatory framework to help us understand the tech landscape before implementing regulations. Our goal is to create regulations that allow for flexibility, encourage innovation, and foster growth,” he explained.
Inuwa also highlighted the importance of leveraging Africa’s human capital, particularly its youthful population, to fill the global talent gap. Citing a World Bank report, he pointed out that by 2030, there could be an 85 million global talent shortage, representing $8.5 trillion in unrealized economic value. Africa, he noted, is well-positioned to become a major supplier of global talent.
He further stressed the role of government in raising awareness about the tech ecosystem’s potential to solve not only local but also global challenges. He referenced the Nigeria Startup Act as an example of co-created legislation designed to foster venture capital, support innovation hubs, and encourage local investment.
In closing, Inuwa called for concerted efforts to build the digital infrastructure that will facilitate content sharing and data flow across Africa, helping the continent to strengthen its digital economy.
Inuwa was joined by other experts, including Dr. Augustina Odame, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Technology; David Manley, Chief Technology Advisor for Sierra Leone; and Marieme Kane, Director of Innovation at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Mauritania.
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