The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the United States to build a secure, trusted and resilient digital ecosystem, with focus on data privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and capacity building.
He made the remarks while addressing participants at the Nigeria Data Privacy Capacity Building Workshop organised by the United States Department of State in collaboration with the Nigerian Mission and key stakeholders in the digital ecosystem.
Inuwa described the workshop as a reaffirmation of the long-standing partnership between Nigeria and the United States, noting that the collaboration reflects a deliberate and growing effort by both countries to jointly tackle emerging digital challenges and opportunities.
He recalled that in April 2024, Nigeria and the United States, through the U.S.–Nigeria Binational Commission, agreed to collaborate on data privacy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, capacity building and other critical areas of digital development.
According to him, the partnership has already yielded tangible outcomes, including the successful hosting of an Artificial Intelligence Conference co-hosted by the Nigerian Government and the U.S. Mission, as well as engagements with U.S. cybersecurity companies to strengthen Nigeria’s technical ecosystem.
The NITDA boss explained that the agency’s focus on data privacy, AI, cybersecurity and policy is driven by the need to build trust in the digital ecosystem, stressing that trust accelerates innovation, reduces costs and removes barriers to growth, while its absence slows progress.
He noted that AI depends on data, data requires privacy, and privacy can only be ensured through strong security frameworks, making it impossible to address these elements in isolation. He added that deliberate safeguards and responsible deployment of technology are essential for a prosperous digital economy.
Inuwa described the workshop as a foundation for deeper collaboration, disclosing plans to expand Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Conference into an international platform this year. He assured stakeholders of NITDA’s commitment to creating enabling policies, building local capacity and working with international partners to position Nigeria as a key player in the global digital economy.