Nigeria, US Reaffirm Partnership On Data Privacy, AI, Cybersecurity

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the United States in building a secure, trusted and resilient digital ecosystem.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday by the spokesperson of the agency, Hadiza Umar, stressing that the collaboration focused on data privacy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and capacity building.

The statement said he stated this while delivering an address at the Nigeria Data Privacy Capacity Building Workshop organised by the United States Department of State, in collaboration with the Nigerian Mission and relevant stakeholders in the digital ecosystem.

Inuwa described the workshop as a strong revalidation of the long-standing partnership between Nigeria and the United States in advancing the country’s technical and digital systems, adding that it was part of a growing and deliberate effort by both countries to jointly address emerging digital challenges and opportunities.

He recalled that in April 2024, Nigeria and the United States, through the US–Nigeria Binational Commission, agreed to work together on key areas including data privacy, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, capacity building, and other aspects of digital development.

He further noted that the same year witnessed the successful hosting of an Artificial Intelligence Conference, co-hosted by the Nigerian Government and the US Mission in Nigeria, as well as Nigeria’s participation in engagements with U.S. cybersecurity companies to explore partnerships aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s technical ecosystem, the statement added.

He explained that NITDA’s emphasis on data privacy, AI, cybersecurity, and policy is anchored on one central objective: ‘building trust in the digital ecosystem’. He said further that trust is a critical enabler of digital transformation, as its absence slows down innovation and increases costs, while its presence accelerates progress and reduces barriers to growth.

The NITDA Boss stressed that building a prosperous digital economy requires deliberate efforts to safeguard data privacy, strengthen security frameworks, and deploy AI responsibly.

He noted that artificial intelligence relies on data, data demands privacy, and privacy can only be guaranteed through strong security, making it impossible to address these issues in isolation.

Inuwa described the workshop as the beginning of broader engagements and deeper collaboration in other strategic areas, particularly as Nigeria continues to position itself as a key player in the global digital economy, the statement said.

He disclosed that following the participation of the US Mission in Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Conference last year, plans are underway to expand the conference into an international cybersecurity platform this year.

According to him, the international conference will provide an opportunity for US cybersecurity companies to showcase their technologies, explore partnerships with Nigerian firms developing local cyber solutions, and jointly strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity ecosystem, the statement added.