NITDA DG Calls for AI Integration in Business Models
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NITDA DG Calls for AI Integration in Business Models
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has urged industry leaders to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their business models to unlock new opportunities and drive smarter decision-making.
Speaking at the GITEX Africa 2025 conference in Marrakech, Morocco, Inuwa emphasized the need for African leaders to evolve into AI-driven leaders and leverage technology as a partner in decision-making.
Inuwa positioned Africa, particularly Nigeria, as a rising force in the global AI landscape, championing a people-first and strategy-led approach to AI development and governance.
He stressed that leaders must combine AI with the unique strengths of their teams to deliver real business value, emphasizing that strategy must always come first, and technology second.
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The NITDA DG highlighted the importance of effective AI utilization, noting that AI is shifting the skills valued today and the processes used to do daily work.
To drive strategic leadership, leaders need to be AI-driven and find ways to use AI as a tool to create co-intelligence, bringing people and computers together to deliver strategic visions.
Inuwa warned against the risks of deploying AI systems built on data that fails to represent the diverse realities of global societies, stressing the need for digital visibility of all cultures and citizens.
He cautioned that if data doesn’t see a community, the system won’t see it either.
The NITDA DG introduced NITDA’s approach to regulating AI through the Regulatory Intelligence Framework, which is anchored on awareness, intelligence, and dynamism.
This framework involves two approaches: rule-based and non-rule-based, allowing for flexibility and adaptability in AI governance.
Envisioning Africa’s AI future, Inuwa predicted that the continent will integrate AI into solving real-world challenges, leapfrogging development gaps and unlocking unprecedented levels of innovation, efficiency, and inclusive growth.
He concluded that Africa must lead the fourth industrial revolution, rather than just following.
Other industry leaders who shared their insights at the panel session included Philip Thigo, Special Envoy on Technology, Republic of Kenya; Gituku Kirika, CEO Pesalink; and Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Head of Africa, Open AI.
