It has been reaffirmed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) that the federal government of Nigeria is up with commitment to strengthening collaboration with the United States in building a secure, trusted and resilient digital ecosystem.
Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of NITDA, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday by Hadiza Umar, the agency’s spokesperson, stressing that the collaboration focuses on data privacy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) cybersecurity, and capacity building.
He made this statement while giving a speech at the Nigeria Data Privacy Capacity Building Workshop, which was organized by the United States Department of State in partnership with the Nigerian Mission and other relevant stakeholders within the digital ecosystem.
Inuwa characterized the workshop as a significant reaffirmation of the enduring collaboration between Nigeria and the United States aimed at enhancing the nation’s technical and digital infrastructures. He added that this initiative is part of a broader and intentional effort by both nations to jointly tackle emerging digital challenges and seize opportunities.
He recalled that in April 2024, Nigeria and the United States, through the U.S.–Nigeria Binational Commission, reached an agreement to work together on critical areas such as data privacy, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, capacity building, and various facets of digital development.
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He also pointed out that the same year saw the successful hosting of an Artificial Intelligence Conference, co-organized by the Nigerian Government and the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, along with Nigeria’s involvement in discussions with U.S. cybersecurity firms to explore partnerships aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s technical ecosystem, as stated in the announcement.
He elaborated that NITDA’s focus on data privacy, AI, cybersecurity, and policy is based on a singular objective: ‘establishing trust in the digital ecosystem’. He further stated that trust is a vital facilitator of digital transformation, as its absence hampers innovation and raises costs, while its presence fosters advancement and diminishes obstacles to growth.
The NITDA leader emphasized that cultivating a thriving digital economy necessitates intentional actions to protect data privacy, fortify security frameworks, and implement AI in a responsible manner.
He remarked that artificial intelligence is dependent on data, which inherently requires privacy; however, privacy can only be assured through robust security measures, making it unfeasible to tackle these issues separately.
