NITDA DG Urges Responsible Digital Future as Experts Push Afrocentric Digital Wellness

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called for a deliberate and responsible approach to shaping Africa’s digital future, stressing that citizens must see themselves as active architects of a people-centred digital ecosystem.

The position was highlighted at the Living Digitally Well Africa Summit 2026, a two-day gathering organised by Doing Healthy Africa and Wise Working Leadership, which brought together 21 global experts and thought leaders from nine countries, including Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In a goodwill message delivered at the summit, Dr. Ayodele Bakare, who represented the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, underscored the urgency of shaping Africa’s digital future responsibly. Bakare noted that the digital landscape is expanding rapidly and that Africans are not merely beneficiaries but architects of that future, with a responsibility to build it wisely.

He also disclosed ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Education to integrate digital literacy into school curricula from primary to junior secondary levels, positioning it as a critical survival skill.

Participants at the summit stressed that Africa’s digital future must be shaped by indigenous cultural values rather than imported frameworks. In the opening address, co-convener and founder of Doing Healthy Africa, Oluwatosin Olabode, emphasised that digital wellness solutions must reflect Africa’s realities and social structures.

A statement issued in Abuja noted that a central theme across the two-day summit was the need to move beyond prioritising connectivity towards intentionally optimising human well-being and psychological flourishing.

“As the continent navigates rapid digital expansion, participants noted that unexamined digital habits are contributing to cognitive fatigue, relational disconnection, and rising mental health concerns across both youth and workforce populations,” the statement said.

Experts called for Afrocentric models of digital resilience grounded in extended kinship, community support and contextual realities, while rejecting passive adoption of global systems that do not reflect local needs.

Delivering the keynote address, co-convener Craig DeLarge said what distinguishes African digital wellness is rooted in Ubuntu — the principle of interdependence — positioning community as essential to safeguarding younger populations.

Similarly, online safety expert Edith Utete urged stakeholders to move away from Eurocentric frameworks that fail to serve African families.

Highlighting the urgency of foundational digital literacy, Collince Dundo described the digital world as “a roaring ocean,” warning that while children cannot be kept from entering it, they must not be sent without a life jacket.

Navigating everyday digital life and the modern workplace, Oluwatosin Olabode, a certified digital wellness consultant, emphasised that technology itself is not the challenge, but rather unexamined digital habits.

Discussions also highlighted how constant connectivity contributes to cognitive fatigue and relational strain. Victor Prince Dickson said workers and organisations must reclaim their “mental sovereignty,” defined as the capacity to exercise clear boundaries in digitally saturated environments.

The summit concluded with a consensus that Africa must lead its own digital transformation through culturally grounded, human-centred innovation that promotes well-being, identity and sustainable growth.