The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has assured Nigerians of his total commitment towards achieving the Federal Government’s Policy of Ease of Doing Business using advanced technology.
Inuwa stated this while hosting the Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwale in his office, yesterday.
The DG said that Technology has paved way for many e-commerce businesses to thrive, hence creating wealth and jobs to millions of people around the globe.
He said that the Agency has identified capacity building as one of the key pillars and strategic road map for ICT development for entrepreneurship, which is why NITDA is widening its scope and working on a framework to ensure Nigeria has turn to technology for businesses.
According to the DG, NITDA is trying to create new digital industries that can support Nigeria’s digital economy through training of startups business by providing incentives and intervention, train startups and give them the skills they need.
He added that NITDA, as a government agency with core mandate of regulating and developing Information Technology in Nigeria is currently leveraging and harnessing the talents possessed by young Nigerians to ensure they understand and utilise it in a business aspect.
Inuwa also said that NITDA, in the last couple of years, has trained Nigerian youths, men and women on computer skills and equally empowered and distributed digital working tools to the beneficiaries, for them to become self-reliant and also train their neighbours, family and friends. According to him, this is part of NITDA’s ‘Train the Trainer’ project.
He said, “We are all aware that the Federal government is ready to create enabling environment for young entrepreneurs, and NITDA is in the forefront of its realisation. Next month, we are going to Lagos State, probably on 9th March, we will meet with entrepreneurs and growing tech-business to see how we can assist them with some interventions.”
“At NITDA, we are working in line with the new strategy from the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and we are focusing on some key strategic initiatives, one of them is Developmental Regulation to create job opportunities for Nigerians,” he said.
The DG further assured that the Agency’s door is always open for collaborations and partnership from well meaning Nigerians who are ready to contribute their own quota in developing Nigeria’s new policy towards achieving Digital Economy.
While making her remarks, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwale said she took her time to visit the agency in order to brainstorm on the areas of job creation especially small scale businesses.
She said, her office focuses on initiating and developing key strategies to ease doing business in Nigeria.
Dr Oduwale also commended the Honourable Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami who supervises Nigeria’s Communication sector, for his commitment towards digitalising Nigeria.
She however appealed to the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE to pinpoint at least two or three crucial areas that can directly have monetary effects on local entrepreneurs in the country.