NITDA ties Kano’s economic growth to digital skills

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa, has linked Kano State’s future economic growth to the development of digital skills and the promotion of innovation, urging stakeholders to embrace technology-driven strategies to strengthen the state’s economy.

Speaking at the Kano Start-up Weekend, Inuwa highlighted Kano’s historic role as the commercial hub of Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahelian region, noting that its legacy of trade, enterprise and human capital provides a strong foundation for modern, innovation-led growth.

He said while Kano’s traditional strengths had sustained the state for centuries, the contemporary economy offers new opportunities through the commercialisation of innovative ideas.

“Innovation is the process of taking an idea from inception to impact. Invention on its own is a cost centre, but when you commercialise an idea and turn it into a product or service that solves a real problem, that is when economic growth and inclusion begin,” Inuwa noted in a statement.

The NITDA chief stressed the need for a connected ecosystem that brings together universities, industries, start-ups and government to drive innovation. He pointed out that Kano hosts numerous federal, state and private degree-awarding institutions, but research outputs often fail to translate into commercial or industrial applications.