NITDA signs MoUs with Fireflies AI, Goose FL to expand Nigeria’s digital footprint

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has formalized agreements with Canadian technology firms Goose FL and Fireflies AI in Toronto. This development comes as Nigeria seeks to forge international partnerships for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and financial inclusion technology. NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi attended the signing of both memoranda of understanding (MoUs), which the agency says are part of a strategy to link Nigeria's technology ecosystem to global expertise while bolstering local AI capacity.

The two agreements, outlined in a statement released on Tuesday, align with the broader goals of financial inclusion, local AI infrastructure development, and overall digital economy growth. This initiative is in line with President Bola Tinubu's vision of elevating Nigeria to a $1 trillion economy by 2030, which is driven by innovation, digital technology, and human capital development.

The NITDA-Goose FL and NITDA-Fireflies AI MoUs represent the latest in a series of technology partnerships and digital infrastructure initiatives pursued by the agency recently. These partnerships aim to provide digital skills training to entrepreneurs in remote and underserved communities across Nigeria. The agreements encompass a suite of instruments, including the National Cloud Computing Guideline, National Cloud Technical Guideline, National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework (NDIAF), and the National Cloud Investment Strategy.

This move reflects a deliberate strategy by NITDA to leverage bilateral and multilateral agreements to accelerate Nigeria's digital infrastructure development. Additionally, NITDA is working to standardize software development and testing across government entities, with plans to license technology firms to offer independent software testing and certification services.

The framework, governed by the NITDA Act 2007, will become mandatory for obtaining IT Project Clearance for government software projects starting from the second quarter of 2027.