By Abbanobi -Eku Onyeka
Abuja
The South South Development Commission (SSDC) is intensifying efforts to position the region to fully harness the potentials of Information Technology for youth development. To achieve this goal, the Managing Director of SSDC, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, has paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, in Abuja.
The visit underscores SSDC’s commitment to strategic partnerships aimed at expanding digital skills, innovation, and inclusive access to ICT opportunities for young people across the six South-South states. Ms. Akpabio emphasized the region’s vast youth tech-ready population and its strategic importance to Nigeria’s economic growth.
She noted that targeted collaboration with NITDA would help bridge digital skills gaps, create employment pathways, and unlock innovation-driven development. Akpabio described NITDA as a critical national institution whose leadership in digital capacity building, ICT infrastructure, and innovation aligns strongly with SSDC’s mandate to drive sustainable regional development.
In response, the NITDA Director General reaffirmed the Agency’s readiness to collaborate with SSDC in deploying technology-driven programmes that support youth empowerment, innovation, and economic diversification in the South-South region. The engagement signals a growing alignment between federal digital economy initiatives and regional development strategies.
The partnership is expected to unlock new opportunities for the youth in the South-South region, enabling them to acquire digital skills and participate in the global digital economy. The region is poised to emerge as a hub for digital talent and innovation, driving economic growth and development.
The visit by SSDC to NITDA marks a significant step towards harnessing the potential of the digital economy in the South-South region, and it is expected to have a positive impact on the region’s youth and economy.
