NITDA Calls for Stronger Academia-Industry-Government Collaboration to Drive Innovation and Youth Empowerment

Abuja, Nigeria – In a push to leverage innovation for sustainable national growth, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has emphasized the urgent need for closer collaboration between academia, industry, and government.

Inuwa made this call during a visit from a delegation from Lancaster University, UK, led by Professor Kirk Semple, focused on exploring strategic collaboration under the Research and Innovation Partnership for Entrepreneurship (RIPE) programme. RIPE aims to translate academic research and innovation into entrepreneurial development and economic transformation.

Inuwa highlighted the significant research investment gap in Nigeria and Africa, hindering the development of knowledge-based economies. He stressed the importance of R&D in addressing sector-specific challenges, such as the lack of access to data and digital tools for Nigerian farmers, and in informing effective policies for digital transformation.

NITDA is focusing on emerging technologies like AI, IoT, UAVs, blockchain, robotics, and additive manufacturing to solve local problems and create new economic opportunities. The goal is to create a vibrant technology-research ecosystem uniting academia, industry, government, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Inuwa also called for aligning university curricula with industry demands and better coordination among stakeholders to avoid duplication of efforts. He referenced the government’s eight strategic pillars for national development and NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0 (SRAP 2024–2027), which supports these priorities through eight complementary pillars focused on digital literacy, research, policy, infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation, partnerships, and organizational culture.

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Professor Semple highlighted Lancaster University’s commitment to strategic collaborations that deliver societal value, describing RIPE as a vehicle for knowledge mobilization. He emphasized the role of universities in providing expertise and resources for solving global issues and the importance of creating long-term networks that foster cooperation across sectors.

The meeting signifies a key step in NITDA’s commitment to international collaboration and aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, positioning Nigeria as a leader in the global digital economy through research-led innovation.

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