The Director-General and CEO of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has participated in a high-level global dialogue focused on digital innovation, emerging technologies and inclusive digital transformation for sustainable development.
The opening session brought together global leaders and development figures, including H.E. Dr. Khalliur Rahman, President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly; H.E. José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate; H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan; H.E. Wellington Dias, Brazil’s State Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger; and H.E. Bilal Bin Saqib, MBE, Minister of State and Chairman of Pakistan’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.
The programme also featured Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate, Founder of Grameen Bank and Chair of the Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals, as a high-level keynote speaker. The session was welcomed by Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of the Yunus Centre, and co-moderated by Dominique V. Dauster, Managing Director of Yunus+You – YY Foundation, and James Chau, President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador.
NITDA said its participation underscored the importance of ensuring that digital transformation translates into improvements in people’s lives. The agency noted that technology delivers greater value when it expands opportunities, strengthens inclusion and addresses societal challenges.
For Nigeria, NITDA highlighted the continued development of an ecosystem where artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, digital skills, innovation and entrepreneurship can support inclusive economic growth and sustainable national development.
“The true measure of digital transformation is not the sophistication of the technology we deploy, but the number of lives we improve, opportunities we create, and people we empower to participate in the digital economy.”
– Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and CEO, Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
NITDA reiterated its commitment to contributing to global discussions on the role of technology and innovation in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, while supporting efforts to ensure broader participation in the digital economy.
