The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has announced that the certificate of the National Youth Service Corps of Nigeria will now be issued and certified on blockchain technology.
He made this declaration on Wednesday during the Stakeholders’ Policy Dialogue on the Implementation of the National Blockchain Policy. An event organised by NITDA in collaboration with Stakeholders in Blockchain Association of Nigeria (SiBAN).
The event, which was held at Four Points By Sheraton, Lagos, was meant to be a confluence where stakeholders, regulators, innovators, key players, and enthusiasts in the Nigerian blockchain industry gather to discuss practical ways to implement the National Blockchain Policy document which was released earlier in the year.
And according to the NITDA chief, one of the practical ways to explore the numerous possibilities that blockchain technology offers a developing nation like Nigeria is its deployment in the issuance of certificates.
“The present administration has a strong interest in blockchain. I believe blockchain, with the ability to add $1.7 trillion to the global GDP, will be a good technology for Nigeria to leverage. And if we position ourselves well based on the BWC report, Nigeria can add about $40 billion to its GDP by 2030.
And I believe we can do it. With the people, I see in this room, and the strong interest in the ecosystem and energy, I believe we can do it. We can use it to solve so many problems.”
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In his words, NITDA is starting this year’s point of concentration with how the blockchain can authenticate certificates.
“NYSC is ready to provide a platform for us. We all know that the NYSC certificate is one area where we are having a lot of forgery in Nigeria. So the DG came to our office. He sought our help and we have agreed to help them develop that blockchain certificate authentication so that all NYSC certificates will be on the blockchain where people can check and verify.” –
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA.
Also, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said there are plans to issue blockchain-based certificates to NITDA training graduates.
“That will be what will drive adoption in other sectors and industry then from there we can look at other areas. The Central Bank of Nigeria is ready to work with the ecosystem.”
Obinna Iwuno, the president of SiBAN, believes that if the blockchain policy document is implemented, it will move the nation forward.
“SiBAN is the member representing the blockchain industry in the national blockchain policy implementation and steering committee. So it’s a great one in the right direction, and we are ready to get it done.
The takeaway from this event is that the government has seen a bigger picture of our industry and what it can become. So they are now getting a better and wider perspective and are ready to start working closely with us even more than they are doing now to make sure that our industry grows and gives Nigeria the potential it has.”
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Mohammed Jega, CEO of Domineum Blockchain and a blockchain expert who was a panellist at the event, emphasized the need for partnerships to accelerate development. To him, setting up institutes in universities located in various geopolitical zones is key.
“Universities are academic environments and are good for building capacities.”
Also, Mohammed Jega urged authorities to partner with blockchain communities like SiBAN and BNUG and create structures around them.
All eyes are on NITDA as it implements the national blockchain policy document.