By Naeemah Junaid
On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has held strategic discussions with representatives of Trust Stamp, a NASDAQ-listed global technology company, to explore potential areas of partnership aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital trust framework and advancing innovation within the digital economy.
NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, chaired the meeting, focused on identifying collaborative opportunities aligned with Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda and the Agency’s strategic priorities for building a secure, inclusive, and innovation-driven digital ecosystem.
Trust remains a critical foundation for the growth of the digital economy, noting that secure systems and strong cybersecurity frameworks are essential for driving innovation, economic growth, and national development. He stated that building trust in digital platforms and services is key to accelerating adoption and unlocking opportunities across sectors, Inuwa emphasized.
NITDA’s mandate as a regulator to create an enabling environment through forward-looking policies and regulatory frameworks that support innovation rather than promote specific technologies. Government interventions are designed to stimulate markets, create opportunities, and empower both businesses and citizens to participate fully in the digital economy, He reiterated.
Nigeria’s openness to investments that strengthen digital infrastructure and enhance digital services, stressing that sustainable national development is best driven by private sector participation under supportive regulatory and policy frameworks. Continued engagement to ensure alignment with national priorities and effective integration into Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, the DG reaffirmed.
Jonathan Pasha, Trust Stamp Vice President, in his remarks, the company’s global experience in secure verification and trust technologies, describing its approach as partnership-oriented and focused on delivering long-term value within local ecosystems. The company prioritizes collaboration with governments and private sector stakeholders to address local challenges and expand access to secure digital services, he noted.
Trust Stamp’s ongoing operations in Nigeria, including its collaboration with a telecommunications provider to enhance SIM swap prevention and fraud detection capabilities. He outlined the firm’s biometric tokenisation technology, which converts biometric data into secure, privacy-preserving representations, enabling verification processes without exposing sensitive information, Pasha referenced.
The technology supports secure verification, fraud prevention, financial inclusion initiatives, and the tokenisation of real-world assets, while being designed to function effectively in low-connectivity environments and on low-specification devices to expand access to digital services.
NITDA reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a secure and trusted digital economy through strategic partnerships, robust regulatory frameworks, and initiatives that promote innovation, inclusion, and sustainable growth.
Both parties expressed interest in advancing technical-level discussions to identify specific areas of collaboration aligned with national priorities and Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.
