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The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called on tech industry experts and startups to partner with the government in co-creating forward-thinking regulations to drive human and infrastructural development in Africa. Abdullahi made this appeal at the second edition of the Moonshot Tech Conference 2024 in Lagos, Nigeria.
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Abdullahi spoke as a panelist on the topic, “Building Digital Economies for the World: How African Countries are Shaping Their Tech Economies to Compete Across the Continent and Globally.” He emphasised the need for balancing innovation and regulation. While innovation relies on creativity to transform ideas into impactful solutions, regulations should act as a stabilizing force, he added
“At NITDA, we’ve developed an intelligent regulatory framework that helps us understand the tech landscape before introducing regulations. This ensures that we understand what you’re building, and the value it brings to the market. The regulation is dynamic, giving room for people to navigate,” Abdullahi explained.
Importance of collaboration
He underscored the importance of collaboration between governments and the private sector to unlock local capital across Africa, emphasizing that the continent’s greatest resource is its human capital. According to a World Bank report, by 2030, there will be a global talent shortage of 85 million, potentially leading to $8.5 trillion in lost annual value. Abdullahi highlighted that Africa, with its young population, is in a prime position to become a global talent hub to bridge this gap.
In Nigeria, Abdullahi pointed to the Nigeria Startup Act as a successful example of co-creating regulations with the tech ecosystem. This act promotes venture capital, innovation hubs, and local capital investments, aiming to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
Other panellists, including Dr. Augustina Odame, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Technology, and David Manley, Chief Advisor on Technology for Sierra Leone, shared similar insights on the importance of building digital infrastructure to facilitate content sharing and data flow across African borders.
Abdullahi concluded by calling for collective action to enhance Africa’s digital economy and position the continent as a leader in the global tech space.
