Kashifu Abdullahi

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Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi is a Nigerian computer scientist, network engineer and technology architect serving as director general and chief executive officer of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) since 2019. [1] [2]

Contents

Education

Abdullahi studied at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria graduating with a bachelor's degree in computer science. He holds several executive certifications in networking, innovation, solutions design and leadership from Oxford University, Harvard University and University of Cambridge. [3] He is an alumnus of Sloan School of Management, IMD Business School, Switzerland and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). [3]

Career

Abdullahi began his career in 2006 as a network engineer at Galaxy Backbone Ltd – a Nigerian federal agency tasked with unifying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of Nigeria. [3] He was one of the first Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) in the Nigeria public sector. Abdullahi left Galaxy Backbone in 2014 and joined the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a technology architect. [4] He served at the CBN until 2017 when he was appointed as technical assistant to the director general of National Information Technology Development Agency, Isa Pantami. [5] [6] [7]

Director general of NITDA

On 20 August 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Abdullahi as director general and CEO of NITDA following the appointment of Isa Pantami as minister of Communication and Digital Economy. [8] [9] [10] In 2021, Abdullahi launched the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021 – 2024) which provided direction for Nigeria's digital economy and create opportunities for Nigerian youths. [11] He introduced IT Project Clearance program which cleared 575 special IT Projects across 267 MDAs with a total sum of 1.4 trillion naira and helped federal government in saving over 45 billion naira in cost of projects execution. [12] He upgraded the agency's Computer Emergency Response and Readiness Center (CERRC) enhancing its cybersecurity and protection for Federal Public Institutions (FPIs) against cyber-attacks. [13]

In October 2023, President Bola Tinubu reappointed Abdullahi for a second term as DG and CEO of NITDA. [14]

References

  1. ↑ Nigeria, Guardian (2023-11-08). "Kashifu Inuwa: Tinubu's stamp for unrivalled feats at NITDA". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  2. ↑ Jeremiah, Urowayino (2023-02-04). "Buhari renews appointment of NITDA DG". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  3. 1 2 3 Times, C. I. O. (2024-12-12). "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi: The Architect of Nigeria's Digital Transformation". CIOTIMES. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  4. ↑ Olowookere, Dipo (2019-09-03). "Kashifu Abdullahi: An IT Czar and his Holistic Vision for NITDA". Business Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  5. ↑ Omoniyi, Faith (2023-10-12). "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi reappointed as NITDA DG". TechCabal. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  6. ↑ "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi: A Worthy Youth Ambassador in Governance, By Comrade Mustapha Ya'u Gumel". www.premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  7. ↑ "What we know about Kashifu Abdullahi, the new NITDA DG". 2019-08-21. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  8. ↑ "NITDA: How we managed Nigeria's data security in one year -..." Daily Trust. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  9. ↑ "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullah in one year, has held the bull of Nigeria's information technology development by the horns". Businessday NG. 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  10. ↑ "Kashifu Inuwa bags Forbes CEO Award as NITDA trains 100..." Daily Trust. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  11. ↑ "Inuwa Abdullahi is Adventurous, Gritty – THISDAYLIVE" . Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  12. ↑ Oluka, Peter (2025-05-19). "FG Saves N300Bn from IT Projects' Clearance – NITDA". Tech | Business | Economy. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  13. ↑ "Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi: Boosting Nigeria's digital economy through visionary leadership". Businessday NG. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  14. ↑ Nwachukwu, John Owen (2023-10-11). "President Tinubu retains Kashifu Abdullahi as DG of NITDA". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
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