In this regard, Prof. Danbatta said NITDA has done vey well in its 20 years of existence, as a critical component among other agencies that are key to helping the country achieve and sustain its digital technology transformation.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who spoke during the NITDA @20 Anniversary conference held in Abuja, said the agency has met the expectations of Nigerians in the past 20 years of its existence.
He also commended the management of NITDA under the leadership of Director-General of the agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi and all the CEOs and directors of the agency from its inception for doing their best in repositioning the agency.
Speaking earlier, Abdullahi highlighted the achievements of the agency in the last two decades.
He said NITDA’s creation symbolized Nigeria’s resolution to embrace digital transformation, adding that the story of NITDA explains Nigeria’s journey to a digital economy.
He explained that since establishment of NITDA, the agency has been working assiduously to help Nigeria catch the train of the 4th industrial revolution without leaving any sector of the economy behind.
NITDA, he further said, has played critical roles in national development by providing the legal framework for information technology development, pioneering IT developmental projects, facilitating access to information technology goods and services, catalysing job creation and ensuring national security.
Abdullai posited that the agency has substantially actualized the National IT Policy’s goal to digitize Nigeria and the Agency is now in the phase of digitalizing the country.
He said, “What is the difference between digitization and digitalization? Digitization means using IT to enhance traditional processes.
“In comparison, digitalization means using IT to deliver new value propositions through innovation. It is about taking advantage of IT as a source of inspiration and strategic national economic, security and social platform.
“On the 23rd of October 2019, based on the digitalization objective, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, approved the re-designation of our Ministry as the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
“The primary purpose of the re-designation was to create a policy framework that would oversee the development of the digital economy for a digital Nigeria.
“Subsequently, on the 28th of November, 2019, the President unveiled the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) to facilitate the diversification of our economy and position Nigeria to tap from the $11.5trillion global digital economy worth.
“NITDA is playing pivotal roles to actualize the objectives of the NDEPS as it had done with the National IT Policy.”
There is no doubt that there are a lot of achievements recorded by the Agency since its establishment.
“These achievements include huge ICT contribution to GDP from less than 0.5% in 2001 to more than 14% in 2020, catalysing job creation and igniting innovative activities in the tech ecosystem.
“Likewise, we have achieved a lot in digital inclusion and literacy. As a result, now we are witnessing the emergence of new economic sectors like Fintech, eCommerce, Venture Capital investment, Business Process Outsourcing, Data Protection Compliance Organisations, IT equipment manufacturing, and robust software industry.
“With this important milestone in carrying out our mandates, we think our 20th-anniversary worth celebrating. Since its establishment, NITDA has evolved in many aspects and responded to its mandates’ dynamics.”
