Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE (born 21 February 1980) is a Nigerian Technocrat and the current Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).[1][2] He has professional expertise[3] in strategy implementation, solutions architect, and transformational leadership.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi
Director General NITDA
Assumed office
20 August 2019
Preceded byIsa Ali Pantami
Personal details
Born
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

(1980-02-21) 21 February 1980
Hadejia, Jigawa State, Nigeria
Alma mater
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abdullahi started as a network engineer in 2005 at Galaxy Backbone, and he has 18 years of corporate experience in the private/public IT space. He has a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE Certification) and is a Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society[4] (NCS). He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree[5] in Business Administration (Leadership and Management) from California Metropolitan University in London at the Leaders Without Borders Annual Business Summit.[6][7]

Career and public service

Prior to becoming Director-General of NITDA, Abdullahi worked at Galaxy Backbone Ltd as a senior network engineer from 2007 to 2013 before joining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a senior technology solutions architect from 2014 to 2017.[8] In 2017, he joined NITDA as a Technical Assistant to the then Director-General before being appointed DG in 2019 by the former President of Nigeria - Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.[9]

Technical Assistant to the DG of NITDA

Abdullahi worked as the Technical Assistant[10] between 2017 and 2019 to the then Director-General- Isa Pantami. Abdullahi was actively engaged in the design, planning, coordination, and execution of NITDA's strategic goals across various thematic areas such as IT Regulation, Local Content Development and Digital Inclusion.[11] He played a key role in the coordination of local content initiatives in 2017, which increased the ICT local production.[12] He helped identify opportunities for reduction in project costs in NITDA's procurement processes and oversaw and achieved over 5% reduction in the budgets of major projects.[13]

Director-General NITDA (2019–present)

Abdullahi is the current DG/CEO of NITDA- the Information Technology Regulatory Agency for the Nigerian ICT ecosystem. In this position, he has implemented several strategic initiatives[14][15] and projects designed to foster digital inclusion,[16] accelerate innovation, create jobs,[17] and improve access to critical IT infrastructure[18] across Nigeria.[19]

The implementation of NITDA mandates of the NDEPS[20][21] helped boost the performance of the Nigerian ICT sector as reflected in the contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country; 14.07% in Q1 2020, 17.92% in Q2 2021, and 18.44% in Q2 2022.[22][23]

Abdullahi is a skilled IT professional whose contributions and initiatives[24] have helped develop and forge a top-tier IT industry in Nigeria.[25] Since his appointment as the DG of NITDA, he has upskilled and reskilled[26] over 1.5 million Nigerians from different career disciplines[27] and has formulated critical policy frameworks that guide the Nigerian government's activities and interventions in the IT ecosystem.[28] In 2019, he oversaw the issuance[29] of endorsement certificates for over 1,000 Indigenous IT companies and service providers. He also approved the issuance of licenses to 12 local OEMs and 100+ data protection companies.[30][31]

Contributions to the Agency
  • He initiated the rebranding of the Agency into a smart and high-velocity Agency with approved Conditions and Scheme of Service[32][33] through internal design, development, and implementation of the "Systemic Reform and Development of NITDA"
  • He called for a design & implementation of NITDA Strategic Roadmap & Action Plan (SRAP2021 -2024) to provide direction and ensure the consolidation of the gains of the digital economy as well as provide job opportunities for Nigeria's teeming youths[34]
  • He helped to transform Nigeria into a digital economy through Developmental Regulations. See the following regulations;
      • Development of Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) Implementation Framework[35] which led to the NDPR compliance drive, that created a new industry in 2022 with 7,680 jobs, 133 licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs), 5746 trainees, and a market valued at ₦1.2 billion[36]
      • Successful Launch of National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)[37][38] that strengthens cybersecurity and safeguards online activities on electronic platforms and transactions[39]
  • He promoted Capacity building[40] and Human Resource Development, including implementation of the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) as well as the implementation of Nigeria Digital Agriculture Strategy (NDAS- 2020–2030)[41]
  • He helped the design & implementation of IT Clearance for government MDAs which has cleared 866 projects from 336 Federal Public Institutions (FPIs), saving the government ₦305.96 billion from 2019 till date[42]
  • He led the Agency to obtain Completion of ISO 27001:2013 Certification, the first government organisation in the country to have attained it[43]
  • Abdullahi encouraged the promotion of Nigerian Content in IT through Improved ICT Goods and Services[44] and the use of local & indigenous IT content, as well as innovation, entrepreneurship, and regulations[45]
  • He worked on Bridging the Digital Divide through IT Infrastructure Deployment of 320 digital economy centers to date[46]
  • He contributed to the creation of a business enabling environment[47][48] which has gained the attention of foreign investors, resulting in a total inflow of US$4.04 billion in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), an accumulation over the years, as follows US$704 million in 2019, US$440 million in 2020, US$1.7 billion in 2021 and US$1.2 billion in 2022[49]
  • He unvieled the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI)[50] a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to inspire the creation of innovative solutions to domestic issues, support the incubation of ideas and develop an enabling environment for start-ups to thrive.[51][52] Through ONDI, 758 start-ups were supported by working with foreign-based collaborators such as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)[53] Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support (TIES) Scheme, Next Innovation with Japan (NINJA) Acceleration Programme, Bridge to MassChallenge Nigeria programme and Idea Hatch (iHatch) Incubation programme[54][55]
  • He also unvieled the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR),[56] another SPV to promote research and development of emerging technologies and their practical applications in areas of national interest. This SPV has allowed for seamless communication between NITDA and the start-up ecosystem,[57] improved trust between both parties, serves as a bridge between developmental regulation and rapid innovation and has paved the way for a more sustainable and dynamic digital economy[58]

Twitter suspension

During Nigeria's Twitter suspension,[59] Abdullahi led the technical team that had a robust engagement which spurred global digital diplomacy and set a new template[60] for the operations of big tech companies in Nigeria and other developing countries.[61]

Awards and recognitions

Abdullahi has received numerous honours and recognition for his contributions to leadership and technology. See an overview of some of his most prestigious awards.

  • Award of Recognition for Invaluable Contributions- By IDC CIO at Summit 2023 (West Africa)[62]
  • Honorary Doctor of Business Administration (Leadership and Management)- Conferred By California Metropolitan University (CMU)[63]
  • 2022 Outstanding Corporate Governance CEO Award - By Forbes Foreign Investment Network[64] (FIN)[65][66]
  • National Productivity Order of Merit Award - By Former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR[67]
  • African Leadership Commendation Award - By African Leadership Magazine[68]
  • ISACA Global Inspirational Leadership Award – By ISACA International Professional Association[69]
  • 100 Leading Telecom and ICT Personalities in Nigeria - By Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON)[70]
  • Pillar of Digital Entrepreneurship Award - By Eminent Emerging Entrepreneurs Foundation[71]
  • 2020 Most Impactful Director-General – By National Information Reporters Association (NITRA)[72]
  • 2020 Special Award for driving ICT development in Nigeria - By Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA)[73]
  • 2019 Achievement Award for Regulating Data Protection in Nigeria - By Data & Knowledge Information Privacy Protection Initiative[74]
  • 2019 Icon of Societal Transformation Award by Northern Women Assembly (NOWA)[75]
  • 2019 Award of Excellence by the Vice-Chancellor NILE University, Prof. Osman Nuri Aras[76]

References
  1. FG Appoints Mr Kashifu Abdullahi as Director-General NITDA, Vanguard Nigeria
  2. "Buhari Appoints". MSN. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  3. T. Evers, Arnoud; I. J. M. van der Heijden, Beatrice (2016). Competence and Professional Expertise. Springer, Cham. pp. 83–101. ISBN 978-3-319-41711-0. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
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  5. "LWB UK 2023 Doctoral Conferment". Leaders Without Borders Development Centre. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
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  8. "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi Biography". ICE GOV. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  9. Elebeke, Emanuel (February 4, 2023). "Buhari renews appointment of NITDA DG". Retrieved 11 September 2023.
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  12. Ramalan, Ibrahim (August 20, 2019). "PROFILE: Kashifu Abdullahi, 39-year-old DG of NITDA and 'architect' of cashless banking in Nigeria". Daily Nigerian. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  13. Gambari, Afolabi (5 June 2020). "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi: The new kid in the NITDA saddle". The Cable. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
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  39. Emejor, Chibuzor (Mar 27, 2022). "NITDA Raises Awareness On Safer Cyber Space". Independent. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  40. "Capacity Building". NITDA. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  41. Coffie-Gyamfi, Charles (February 22, 2022). "NITDA targets 10 million farmers with NAVSA smart farming platform". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  42. Adaramola, Zakariyya (May 24, 2023). "Nigeria's Digital Economy Under Buhari". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
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