Home/industry/NITDA Partners with Meta, Microsoft, and MTN to Drive Nigeria's Digital Safety and AI Governance Roadmaps
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IndustryPublished 18 July 20263 min read

NITDA Partners with Meta, Microsoft, and MTN to Drive Nigeria's Digital Safety and AI Governance Roadmaps

Building a Safer Digital Space for Nigerian Youth

The National Information Technology Development Agency is expanding its efforts to secure the digital environment for young Nigerians. At the Youth Safety Summit held in Abuja, the agency collaborated with Meta to address the risks associated with increased online activity. This event served as the launchpad for the Youth Online Safety Campaign and My Digital World 2.0, initiatives designed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. These programmes aim to combine digital literacy with online safety, ensuring that young people can use the internet securely for learning, entrepreneurship, and social connection.

During the summit, NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa, represented by Dr Ahmed Tambuwal, the acting director of the Digital Literacy and Capacity Building Department, highlighted that safeguarding vulnerable users is key to building a trusted digital economy. The event also featured contributions from the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, and Meta Africa Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Mrs Sola Dada. This joint effort aligns with the agency's broader mandate under the NITDA Act of 2007 to regulate and coordinate information technology practices across Nigeria.

Transitioning from Policy to Progress with AI Summit 2026

As Nigeria advances its National AI Strategy, the country is preparing to host the AI Summit Nigeria 2026 on June 16, 2026, at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. The summit, which will also be accessible virtually, aims to address critical areas such as responsible artificial intelligence adoption, digital sovereignty, regulatory readiness, and the practical implementation of technology policies. NITDA is organizing this event in partnership with NINER-JOJER, Microsoft, MTN, and other stakeholders across academia, government, and industry to drive an inclusive digital economy.

The upcoming summit represents a shift from theoretical planning to execution. By bringing together local and international stakeholders, the platform will focus on how policy frameworks can be translated into tangible digital progress, ensuring that artificial intelligence development remains aligned with national interests and ethical governance standards.

Driving Execution Through SRAP 2.0 and Digital Nigeria

These initiatives are structured under the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2024-2027, also known as SRAP 2.0. This roadmap aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the blueprint of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. SRAP 2.0 focuses on eight strategic pillars: talent development, technology research, policy enablement, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation-driven entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, and organizational excellence. The plan outlines a clear path to elevate Nigeria's status in the global digital economy while fostering national prosperity.

Complementing this roadmap is the Digital Nigeria 2026 event, which shifts the national focus from policy conversation to active ecosystem delivery. A key feature of this initiative is the Builders Festival, designed to connect public and private institutions with deployment-ready startups to resolve operational bottlenecks through structured matching and pilot collaborations. Through these integrated strategies, the government aims to build resilient, sovereign, and inclusive digital systems.

What this means for Africa: Nigeria is establishing a comprehensive framework that combines cybersecurity, youth safety, and targeted infrastructure partnerships to transition its digital policies into measurable economic progress.

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