NITDA Urges Nigerian Army to Leverage AI and Data for Modern Warfare
Inuwa made the call while speaking at the Nigerian Army’s 4th Data Management and Record Keeping Seminar 2026, themed “From Data to Decision Advantage: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Warfare.”
The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) , Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, has urged the Nigerian Army to leverage data and artificial intelligence (AI) as strategic assets for strengthening intelligence, decision-making and operational effectiveness in modern warfare.
Inuwa made the call while speaking at the Nigerian Army’s 4th Data Management and Record Keeping Seminar 2026, themed “From Data to Decision Advantage: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Warfare.”
He noted that AI would not replace military personnel but warned that institutions and individuals that fail to embrace the technology risk being left behind. According to him, intelligent automation can reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, streamline workflows and enable officers to focus on critical strategic and operational responsibilities.
Inuwa also called for stronger digital sovereignty in Nigeria’s defence sector, cautioning against excessive reliance on foreign commercial platforms. He advocated greater investment in sovereign digital infrastructure and stronger military-civilian partnerships to develop indigenous technologies capable of addressing Nigeria’s security needs.
The NITDA Director-General further recommended an enterprise approach to digital transformation, supported by clear objectives, optimised processes and a skilled workforce.
He emphasised that the future of warfare would not be determined by who has the most data, but by who can turn data into insight, insight into decisions, and decisions into action faster.
