In a keynote address delivered at the IoT West Africa Conference and Exhibition 2023, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), emphasized the importance of collaboration in harnessing Nigeria’s potential in the realm of Internet of Things (IoT) and its transformative impact on the country’s digital ecosystem.
The address was part of NITDA’s efforts to implement the Digital Transformation pillar of the Strategic Road Map and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024).
During his speech, Inuwa highlighted key challenges that need to be overcome in order to fully access the potential of IoT, including infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data protection. He noted that many IoT applications rely on cloud-based solutions such as Alexa and Google.
The NITDA Director General also highlighted the increasing capabilities of computer systems, surpassing human performance in various domains, particularly with the rise of generative AI and chat GPT.
Referring to a McKinsey report, Inuwa shared that IoT has the capacity to generate between 5.5 to 12.6 trillion US dollars in value across different industries by 2030.
He underscored the exponential growth of connected devices, surpassing the global population, as reported by Cisco. Inuwa pointed out that IoT could significantly contribute to sectors like agriculture, where automation and wearable plant sensors could enhance food production with fewer human efforts.
Citing the World Economic Forum, the NITDA Director General emphasized the need to increase global food production by 70% in the next seven years to address food security.
He highlighted the urgency for Nigeria, which is experiencing rapid population growth and is projected to become the third-largest country by population by 2050.
Inuwa stressed the potential of IoT in increasing Nigeria’s food production through precision agriculture, including soil moisture management and automated farming processes.
In addition to agriculture, Inuwa discussed the role of IoT in addressing security challenges. IoT devices can monitor activities, movement patterns, and enable geofencing to prevent incidents such as farmer-herder conflicts and kidnappings.
The NITDA Director General further emphasized the potential of IoT in enhancing oil theft prevention by monitoring pipelines and enabling quick security responses.
Inuwa also highlighted the significance of IoT in the healthcare sector. Wearable IoT devices that monitor vital signs like heartbeats and blood pressure can provide valuable information for telemedicine, benefiting medical practitioners and individuals with disabilities or the elderly.
While acknowledging the absence of locally manufactured IoT devices, Inuwa called for the development of necessary infrastructure, such as data centers and cloud solutions, to store IoT data. He emphasized the need to build local talent and promote digital sovereignty to ensure Nigeria’s independence in the digital sphere.
In his concluding remarks, Inuwa urged the collective efforts of the government, private sectors, and all stakeholders to develop tailor-made solutions, harness indigenous talents, and co-create IoT solutions.
He emphasized NITDA’s commitment to working collaboratively with the ecosystem, moving away from a top-down approach to policymaking.
The keynote address by Kashifu Inuwa at the IoT West Africa Conference and Exhibition 2023 provided valuable insights into the potential of IoT in Nigeria and underscored the importance of collaboration and innovation to unlock this potential.
The NITDA Director General’s call to action serves as a catalyst for stakeholders to work together in realizing Nigeria’s digital transformation goals and leveraging IoT to drive socioeconomic development in the country.
