CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Africa’s future prosperity is fundamentally dependent on building its own “compute capacity” and investing heavily in local digital infrastructure, according to the Director General of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Speaking at the 2nd annual Sustainability Week Africa in Cape Town, Kashifu Inuwa, stressed that this local digital foundation is the crucial step needed to unlock sustainable economic transformation, create jobs, and boost intra-African trade.
The Call for Digital Self-Determination
Mr. Inuwa made his urgent plea during a panel session focusing on Digital Infrastructure for Jobs and Trade in Africa. He warned that Africa cannot rely on external powers to process its data and build its digital economy.“In the 21st century, compute power is a primary factor of production, and we cannot rely on exporting our raw data to other regions to process it and build products for us,” he stated. The NITDA head drew a parallel with collaborative models in Europe, which are developing high-performance supercomputers and AI factories. He urged African governments to adopt similar strategies, creating policy incentives to attract private sector investment in digital infrastructure continent-wide. He highlighted the need for Africa to achieve digital independence and competitiveness, arguing that while leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) can accelerate development, the continent must simultaneously build the computing capacity required to sustain that innovation.
Building the Digital Rails
Mr. Inuwa detailed how Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) works at two essential levels: Shared Physical and Technical Infrastructure: The foundational elements like connectivity and cloud capacity. Functional Layer: Enabling systems such as digital identity, payment platforms, and data exchange mechanisms that allow citizens and businesses to access services seamlessly. Citing Nigeria’s progress as a potential model, the DG noted that the country has already enrolled more than 130 million citizens into its national digital identity system. Furthermore, efforts are underway to establish a national data exchange platform and a DPI Centre of Excellence to promote interoperability across all government tiers. Kashifu Inuwa advocated strongly for an “African-built DPI” tailored to local needs, rather than relying on imported systems.Skills and Collaboration for a Digital FutureBeyond infrastructure, the NITDA boss reiterated Nigeria’s ambitious targets under its National Digital Literacy Framework: achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027 and 95% by 2030. Digital skills training has been made mandatory for students and civil servants, with partnerships targeting youth, women, and market traders to leverage digital tools and AI applications for economic expansion. He concluded his address with a call for clear policy frameworks across the continent to guide technology development and AI adoption, and for stronger coordination between governments, the private sector, and development partners.“Africa’s advantage lies in our ability to leap, to build collaboratively, and to design technology for inclusion,” Inuwa said. “If we build the digital rails together, our youth will drive Africa straight into the heart of the global digital economy.”
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