By Kingsley Samuel
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has said that responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence, AI, will be critical to Nigeria’s digital transformation journey, warning that innovation without trust, accountability and transparency could undermine public confidence and slow technological progress.
Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, stated this at the AI Summit Nigeria 2026 held in Abuja, where stakeholders from government and the private sector gathered to discuss strategies for accelerating AI adoption across the country.
The summit, themed “From Policy to Progress: Accelerating Responsible AI Adoption for Nigeria’s Digital Decade,” was hosted by Microsoft in collaboration with NITDA and MTN.Represented by NITDA’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Barr. Emmanuel Edet, Inuwa described AI as a transformative technology capable of reshaping virtually every sector of the economy, from education and healthcare to agriculture, finance and public service delivery.
According to him, the success of AI deployment in Nigeria will depend largely on the ability of policymakers, technology providers and institutions to build public trust through responsible governance frameworks.”Without public trust, AI adoption will be stalled.
Without accountability, innovation will not scale sustainably, and without transparency, citizens will lose confidence in the systems designed to serve them,” he said.
Inuwa stressed that as Nigeria embraces emerging technologies, there is a need to ensure that AI systems are developed and deployed in ways that are ethical, secure, inclusive and aligned with national development priorities.
He also highlighted the importance of digital sovereignty, urging Nigeria to transition from being a consumer of foreign technologies to becoming a creator of innovative solutions that address local challenges.
“We must become creators of intelligence rooted in our realities and responsive to our aspirations. We must build local talent, strengthen research ecosystems and create an enabling environment where Nigerian and African solutions can thrive,” he said.
The NITDA boss further noted that Africa must play a more active role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence globally rather than merely adapting technologies developed elsewhere.
Also speaking at the summit, Microsoft’s Director of Government Affairs for West Africa, Nonye Ujam, commended Nigeria’s progress in AI governance, particularly the development of the National AI Strategy and ongoing regulatory reforms.
She, however, urged stakeholders to move beyond policy formulation and focus on practical implementation that delivers measurable benefits to citizens, businesses and government institutions.
According to her, successful AI adoption requires strong governance structures, reliable infrastructure and institutional capacity, while ensuring that innovation remains anchored on fairness, security, transparency and accountability.
The summit featured discussions on digital sovereignty, regulatory clarity, innovation and collaboration, with participants exploring ways to harness AI for economic growth while maintaining strategic control over Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem.
Representatives of key public institutions, including the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, and Galaxy Backbone, attended the event, underscoring growing collaboration among stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through responsible AI adoption.
