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The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called on African business and public sector leaders to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strategic tool for leadership, innovation, and sustainable growth. Abdullahi made the remarks during a high-level panel discussion titled “Harnessing AI for Strategic Leadership” at GITEX Africa 2025.
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Addressing a global audience of policymakers, investors, and technology experts, Abdullahi emphasized the urgent need for Africa to embed AI technologies into business and governance models, describing AI as a critical enabler of smarter decision-making and long-term competitiveness.
“To lead strategically in today’s digital age, leaders must become AI-driven decision-makers. AI should be a co-intelligence partner—working alongside people to deliver visionary outcomes,” Abdullahi stated.
Integrating Generative AI responsibly into leadership
Abdullahi identified four core principles for integrating Generative AI responsibly into leadership and operations:
- Invite AI to the table – Incorporate AI in business and organisational workflows.
- Maintain human oversight – Ensure human control to correct bias and guide decisions.
- Design guardrails – Protect privacy, ethics, and inclusion.
- Embrace continuous improvement – Recognise that today’s AI is the foundation, not the limit.
He also warned against deploying AI systems trained on biased or non-representative data, stressing that “if data doesn’t see a community, the system won’t see it either.” Abdullahi urged for digital inclusion that reflects the diversity of Africa’s people, cultures, and realities.
Introducing NITDA’s Regulatory Intelligence Framework, Abdullahi outlined Nigeria’s proactive approach to AI governance. Built on the pillars of Awareness, Intelligence, and Dynamism, the framework ensures adaptable regulation that evolves with technology. He explained that NITDA employs both rule-based and non-rule-based strategies—creating clear guidelines while allowing sandbox experimentation to determine best practices.
“We don’t just need rules; we need context-aware, flexible frameworks that allow innovation to thrive responsibly,” he added.
Closing development gaps with AI
Looking ahead, Abdullahi envisioned a future where AI plays a central role in closing development gaps, improving productivity, and driving inclusive growth across sectors like healthcare, education, agriculture, and finance.
“We missed the first three industrial revolutions—but with AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Africa must lead, not follow,” he affirmed.
Other panelists included Philip Thigo, Special Envoy on Technology for the Republic of Kenya; Gituku Kirika, CEO of Pesalink; and Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Head of Africa at OpenAI, who all echoed the urgency of accelerating AI adoption across Africa.
