WorldStage Newsonline– The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCOE, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to fostering collaboration among researchers, technology experts, and academics to address national challenges through innovation and cutting-edge technology.
Inuwa made this statement during a visit by the management of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, to NITDA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
He emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between academia, engineers, and entrepreneurs to tackle pressing national issues such as environmental sustainability, public health, and infrastructure.
According to him, “this aligns with NITDA’s mission to build a robust technology research ecosystem, focusing on digital literacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and research & development (R&D).
“It also supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes digital transformation and equipping students with future-ready skills.”
To institutionalize this partnership, NITDA and NSUK agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive impactful initiatives and ensure long-term, sustainable collaboration between the two organizations.
The partnership is expected to accelerate innovation in Nigeria’s tech sector, empower students with digital skills, and contribute to national development through research-driven solutions.
Inuwa further highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) beyond office automation, particularly in healthcare and agriculture.
He said, “Imagine developing a bot that can provide quality healthcare services to remote areas. One of the challenges in our healthcare system is the shortage of professionals. It’s difficult to have specialist doctors available everywhere, but AI can help bridge this gap.”
He referenced to a recent research study in Nigeria where AI-powered chatbots, such as ChatGPT, were tested against human doctors in providing medical prescriptions, saying the results showed that AI-generated prescriptions were often comparable to—and, in some cases, even better than—those provided by human doctors.
“This underscores the potential of AI in telemedicine, offering accessible and efficient healthcare services to underserved communities. Beyond healthcare, NITDA believes AI can drive innovations in agriculture, education, and other critical sectors, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to leveraging technology for national development,” he added.
In her remarks, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman expressed deep appreciation to NITDA for its continued support in strengthening technology research, digital literacy, and innovation at NSUK.
She also highlighted the significant benefits of the university’s collaboration with the agency, saying, “NSUK has been recognized as a pioneer participant in NITDA’s digital transformation program, a model that the National Universities Commission (NUC) is now working to extend to other universities across Nigeria.
“The university believes this initiative will be a huge success, aligning with its vision of equipping students with digital skills to meet global workforce demands.
“As part of our commitment to advancing technology education, NSUK has established a Digital Literacy Center at the Faculty of Engineering, where students are developing tech gadgets to enhance their skills and competitiveness on a global scale.
“Our goal is to ensure that our students are not only well-prepared for Nigeria but also globally competitive wherever they go,”* she emphasized.”
She further added that the collaboration between NITDA and NSUK continues to strengthen Nigeria’s technology and innovation ecosystem, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the digital economy and future workforce.
