The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has positioned technology adoption and skills development as central tenets of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for inclusive economic growth. Speaking at the recent Kano Startup Weekend, Inuwa highlighted NITDA’s targeted human capital programmes as crucial tools for translating the administration’s vision into economic impact. According to the Director-General, empowering Nigerians with digital and technical skills is essential for building a resilient economy capable of competing globally. Investing in Human Capital Inuwa detailed two flagship NITDA initiatives designed to foster this capacity: Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL): Aims to equip citizens across all segments of society with basic digital skills needed to participate effectively in the digital economy. 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT): Designed to deliberately build a pipeline of globally competitive technical professionals in high-demand fields such as software development and data analysis. “Through DL4ALL, we are ensuring that Nigerians at all levels have the basic digital skills… while 3MTT is deliberately building a pipeline of globally competitive technical talents who can drive innovation, create jobs and attract investment,” he explained. Kano’s Opportunity The DG called on Kano—historically a commercial powerhouse—to leverage its existing human capital base by urgently fostering collaboration between academia and industry. He stressed that an “innovation-driven economy” is essential for the state to thrive in the 21st century. He called for an end to institutional and industrial “silos,” emphasizing that universities must conduct research informed by industry needs, and startups must act as the bridge to convert these ideas into commercial, market-ready solutions. “President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is about investing in people, empowering them with relevant skills and creating opportunities for inclusive growth. At NITDA, we are using digital skills and innovation as tools to translate that vision into real economic impact for Nigerians,” Inuwa concluded, urging Kano stakeholders to collaborate and embrace innovation to unlock the state’s vast potential.
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