Interview: Kashifu Inuwa
What steps must be taken to implement Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy?
KASHIFU INUWA: The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) outlines eight pillars to facilitate the digitisation of the economy. This comports with former President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision to diversify Nigeria’s economy away from its dependence on oil and gas. To fulfil the NDEPS’ goals, the NITDA developed its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2021-24, with seven of its eight pillars aligned with NDEPS to support the country’s transition to a sustainable digital economy.
First, regulations are needed for a safe digital space, and an environment for businesses to thrive in based on public trust and confidence. Second, as better digital literacy and skills would make Nigeria competitive globally, we must expand our in-house capacity to create local content. Third, a digital transformation is needed to encourage people to use technology to improve product efficiency and show how technology can inspire new and disruptive business value propositions. Fourth, we must ensure digital innovation and entrepreneurship in an environment that helps people take their ideas from inception to reality. Fifth, Nigeria must create and capture sustainable value from emerging technologies. Sixth, because we aim to digitise all government services by 2030, enhancing cybersecurity is crucial for national security, which means investing in education and training to increase cybersecurity awareness. Lastly, we must encourage the creation and consumption of local digital services and products.
Which factors are driving elevated foreign investment in the country’s digital infrastructure?
INUWA: Nigeria has a large youth population with the talent to develop innovative solutions, as can be seen by our expanding start-up market. Indeed, our human capital shows our value as an investment destination. The expansion of technology companies in Nigeria reveals the talent that can be utilised to develop local solutions for various sectors, from agriculture to housing, and then adapted for global markets.
Nigeria’s attractiveness has been enhanced by rapid urbanisation, with more than 50% of the population living in urban areas. This means there is demand for digital services, creating an auxiliary market for add-on offerings such as payment and credit solutions to facilitate consumption. Lastly, the rise of remote work has expanded the market for global talent-sourcing without the additional costs of migration. Improvements to digital infrastructure are necessary for citizens to promote their digital skills internationally while at the same time keeping the economic benefits in-country.
How does the NITDA balance its goals related to digital innovation with the need to reinforce cybersecurity and enhance data protection?
INUWA: We need to view the impact of technology from a societal perspective, and regulating technology is difficult precisely because it often blurs the line between the public and private domains. The outsized impact of technology requires the promotion of a culture of responsible digital transformation.
Regulatory limits regarding data protection and privacy, cybersecurity and sovereignty exist to ensure that digitisation operates within parameters that maximise its benefits across multiple sectors, from agriculture to construction. As such, the digital space requires regulation that is based on an understanding of and collaboration with the larger technology environment.
By working with the various stakeholders in the industry, Nigeria’s technology sector expects to benefit from regulations that are able to strike a balance between the country’s diverse interests while simultaneously creating an environment that promotes innovation across various sectors of the economy. To this end, it is necessary for the NITDA to continue to invest in capacity building and regulatory upgrades to keep pace with contemporary technological developments.
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