Bukola Afeni
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is calling on all government institutions and organisations to adopt Artificial Intelligence responsibly, while maintaining human oversight, accountability and strong policy frameworks.
The Director General of the agency Kashifu Inuwa, at the International Civil Service Conference 2026 held in Abuja.
Inuwa disclosed that NITDA has already commenced the implementation of a three-year AI Transformation Plan aimed at improving institutional efficiency, continuity and productivity within the agency.
The NITDA boss, who was represented by the Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnership, Aristotle Onumo, said the initiative was designed to ensure seamless operations within the agency regardless of staff changes.
“In NITDA as an agency, we have what we call the AI Transformation Plan. It is a kind of three-year plan which we have put in place so that even if the current staff are replaced completely, new personnel should be able to interact with the system and continue work without hindrance,” he stated.
According to him, the agency has already integrated AI into internal operations, particularly in document management and workflow coordination.
He explained that official documents submitted at the agency are now scanned immediately and automatically routed to relevant officers through AI-powered systems.
“All that is required now is to drop documents at the gate. AI scans and routes them to the appropriate officers. If such documents are not treated within the required timeframe, the system flags them and reports accordingly,” he said.
The NITDA DG also addressed concerns over job losses linked to AI adoption, insisting that the technology should be viewed as a productivity tool rather than a replacement for human workers.
“There is always this fear that AI is coming to take away jobs, especially in the public service. But I want to state clearly that the jobs of people who refuse to upskill themselves may eventually be affected. However, those willing to retrain and adapt will benefit immensely from AI,” he noted.
He disclosed that the agency has already begun AI capacity-building programmes for staff members, while workers previously engaged in manual operations are being reassigned to emerging technology-related roles.
“We have ensured that everyone undergoes AI training. Those who previously handled manual file operations have now been redesignated as AI assistants and AI administrators. We are preparing our workforce for the future rather than replacing them,” he added.
Inuwa further stressed the importance of retaining human supervision in AI deployment across government institutions.
“You must not take away human monitoring and accountability in any AI implementation process. At the end of the day, someone must remain accountable,” he cautioned.
On regulation and governance, the NITDA DG called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies to establish internal AI policies capable of defining operational boundaries for the technology.
“We must ensure that whatever we use AI for aligns with data protection regulations and responsible use principles. Without proper frameworks, data misuse could become more prevalent and destructive,” he warned.
He also revealed that NITDA is collaborating with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to strengthen digital literacy and AI competencies among civil servants nationwide.
According to him, the agency is currently using its internal system as a practical testing ground for broader AI deployment across the public sector.
“AI has not come to replace people completely. But those who refuse to develop their skills may struggle to fit into the evolving technology ecosystem,” he concluded.
