NITDA, North West University Move to Deepen Digital Transformation

By James Ishaku

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and North West University have commenced discussions aimed at strengthening digital capacity, research and technology-driven education in the institution.

The engagement, which brought together the management of the university and NITDA leadership, centred on how technology could be deployed more effectively to improve teaching, research, innovation and the employability of graduates.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, said the proposed collaboration should be designed to produce sustainable outcomes rather than focus on one-off interventions.

Inuwa maintained that universities remained critical to Nigeria’s digital transformation because of their responsibility for producing the skilled workforce, knowledge and research required to sustain technological advancement.
He said the country’s digital development strategy must therefore place greater emphasis on strengthening institutions and building the capacity of people who would drive the digital economy.

The NITDA boss observed that a mismatch between university training and industry requirements remained a challenge to graduate employability, urging universities to establish stronger relationships with employers and technology companies.

He called for regular reviews of academic curricula to ensure that students are exposed to emerging technologies and acquire practical skills relevant to both the Nigerian and international labour markets.

“We need to create an ecosystem where the university produces the human capital required by government and the private sector, while industry also contributes to the development of relevant skills and research,” Inuwa said.
He disclosed that NITDA was promoting digital literacy through the National Digital Literacy Framework and encouraged the university to integrate digital literacy into its General Studies programme.