NITDA Pushes Responsible AI Adoption, Digital Sovereignty at Summit
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NITDA Pushes Responsible AI Adoption, Digital Sovereignty at Summit
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has reiterated its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a leading player in Africa’s artificial intelligence economy, stressing that responsible AI adoption, digital sovereignty, and indigenous innovation are critical to the country’s digital future.
The agency’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, made this known at the AI Summit Nigeria 2026, hosted by Microsoft in Abuja.
Represented by NITDA’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Emmanuel Edet, Inuwa described artificial intelligence as a transformative technology with the potential to reshape every sector of the economy.
He, however, emphasised that public trust remains essential for the successful deployment of AI technologies, warning that innovation cannot thrive without accountability and transparency.
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“Without public trust, AI adoption will be stalled. Without accountability, innovation will not scale sustainably, and without transparency, citizens will lose confidence in the systems designed to serve them,” he said.
The summit, themed, “From Policy to Progress: Accelerating Responsible AI Adoption for Nigeria’s Digital Decade,” was organised through a collaboration between Microsoft, NITDA, and MTN.
The event brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors to discuss strategies for integrating AI into Nigeria’s economic development agenda.
Inuwa stressed the need for Nigeria to achieve digital sovereignty by moving beyond the role of a technology consumer to becoming a producer of innovative solutions tailored to local realities.
“We must become creators of intelligence rooted in our realities and responsive to our aspirations. We must build local talent, strengthen research ecosystems, and create an enabling environment where Nigerian and African solutions can thrive,” he said.
He added that Africa must play a significant role in shaping the future of global AI rather than merely adapting to technologies developed elsewhere.
Also speaking at the summit, Microsoft’s Director of Government Affairs for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, commended Nigeria’s efforts in AI governance, particularly the development of the National AI Strategy and ongoing regulatory reforms.
She, however, urged stakeholders to move beyond policy formulation and focus on implementing AI-driven solutions capable of delivering measurable benefits to citizens, businesses, and government institutions.
According to Ujam, effective AI adoption requires strong governance structures, adequate infrastructure, and institutional capacity, while ensuring that innovations are guided by fairness, security, transparency, and accountability.
The summit featured discussions on regulatory clarity, digital sovereignty, and the balance between innovation, collaboration, and strategic control of Nigeria’s rapidly expanding technology ecosystem.
Representatives of key institutions, including the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC and Galaxy Backbone, participated in the event, underscoring growing collaboration in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
