NITDA urges Army to turn data into intelligence for modern warfare
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NITDA urges Army to turn data into intelligence for modern warfare
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has urged the Nigerian Army to move beyond treating data management as a record-keeping exercise and begin using data as a strategic tool for intelligence gathering and military decision-making.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, gave the charge while delivering a keynote address titled, “From Data to Decision Advantage: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Warfare,” at the Data Management and Record-Keeping Seminar organised by the Army Headquarters Department of Military Secretary in Abuja.
Abdullahi said properly managed and analysed data could provide the military with critical intelligence capable of improving operational planning and strengthening its advantage in modern warfare.
He urged the Army to integrate Artificial Intelligence into its strategic and tactical decision-making processes, noting that AI-powered systems could enhance the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of decisions at both command and battlefield levels.
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The NITDA boss said the rapid transformation of the global defence industry through emerging technologies had made it imperative for Nigeria’s military to rethink its approach to technology adoption.
“Globally, the defence industry is changing due to the disruptive power of technology. So, we need to look beyond just using data for record-keeping to start thinking of using data management for intelligence and strategic military operations.
“Today, we can use Artificial Intelligence to help us collate, analyse, verify and apply data in our military operations. We can integrate AI to help transform data into strategic and tactical information for decision-making,” he said.
Abdullahi stressed that effective digital transformation required the military to pay attention to its personnel, processes and technology, rather than focusing solely on acquiring new technological tools.
He also called on the Army to adopt emerging technologies across its security and defence operations, describing technology as a critical component of national defence readiness.
The NITDA DG further urged the military to develop dedicated digital infrastructure and data centres for defence purposes, noting that the armed forces currently depend on partnerships with civilian organisations in developing some defence technologies.
He said greater collaboration between the military, government agencies and indigenous technology firms would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to develop home-grown solutions for national security.
“The Nigerian Army has to consider ways of collaborating with other government agencies and the indigenous tech innovation ecosystem to build defence technology that can help us defend our nation,” Abdullahi stated.
On human capacity development, he said the military must strengthen the digital skills of its personnel to enable them to effectively utilise data, Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies for tactical and operational purposes.
Abdullahi described digital competence as a critical foundation for the successful transformation of the military’s operations in an increasingly technology-driven security environment.
He also announced that NITDA would provide training and capacity-building programmes to equip military personnel with relevant digital skills for the emerging data- and AI-driven defence landscape.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s national security objectives through technology, stressing that the effective deployment of digital tools would be increasingly important to the country’s defence preparedness.
