The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has called on the Nigerian Army to harness data and artificial intelligence (AI) as strategic assets to strengthen intelligence, improve decision-making, and enhance operational effectiveness in modern warfare.
Inuwa made the remarks while delivering a presentation titled “From Data to Decision Advantage: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Warfare” at the Nigerian Army’s 4th Data Management and Record Keeping Seminar 2026.
Speaking on the role of emerging technologies in defence, the NITDA Director General said artificial intelligence should be viewed as a force multiplier rather than a replacement for military personnel.
He noted that organisations and individuals that fail to embrace AI risk falling behind, adding that intelligent automation can reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, streamline administrative processes and enable officers to focus on strategic and operational responsibilities.
Inuwa also stressed the importance of digital sovereignty within Nigeria’s defence ecosystem. He cautioned against excessive dependence on foreign commercial technology platforms and advocated greater investment in sovereign digital infrastructure.
He further called for stronger collaboration between the military and civilian technology ecosystem to develop indigenous digital solutions capable of addressing the country’s evolving security challenges.
According to him, successful digital transformation requires an enterprise-wide approach anchored on clearly defined objectives, optimised business processes and a skilled workforce.
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He emphasised that future military advantage would depend not on the volume of available data, but on the ability to rapidly convert data into actionable insights, transform insights into decisions, and execute those decisions effectively.
The remarks underscore NITDA’s continued advocacy for the adoption of digital technologies and AI across critical sectors, including national defence, as Nigeria advances efforts to build indigenous technological capacity and strengthen its digital transformation agenda.
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