By Ejire Folakunmi
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) unit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) have announced plans to strengthen their partnership to drive digital transformation in Nigeria’s energy sector.
During a recent strategic engagement, NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa urged the NNPC to shift from a traditional dependence on oil and gas “exploitation” to an approach centered on the “exploration” of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics.
Inuwa highlighted NITDA’s priorities, which include digital literacy and the promotion of indigenous technology solutions to achieve digital sovereignty. He also disclosed that NITDA would support NNPC in connecting with Nigeria’s startup ecosystem through incubation programs and innovation challenges tailored to the oil and gas industry.
Earlier, the Director of NNPC RTI, Olatomiwa Olaniyi, stated that the collaboration aims to co-create solutions that accelerate innovation across the energy value chain. He emphasized that the RTI unit focuses on driving operational excellence, boosting revenue, and supporting sustainable growth across NNPC’s upstream, gas, power, and new energy business areas.
Both organizations underscored the importance of the Nigerian Startup Act and other enabling policies in scaling tech ventures into commercially viable solutions. The partnership is expected to reposition the energy sector by making technology a primary driver of efficiency and diversification.