AI, robotics key to 4th industrial revolution – NITDA DG

Mr Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA),says emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are key to attaining the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

Inuwa said this on Wednesday at the week-long National Engineering Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Abuja on Wednesday.

The theme of the 2020 conference was “Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for Sustainable Development”.

Inuwa said that the agency has aligned its activities towards repositioning the country for a digital economy.

“All the previous industrial revolutions were powered by engineers and now the fact that we are at the verge of the fourth industrial revolution makes the conference even more timely.

“Africa lost out in the first, second and third industrial revolutions and the fourth industrial revolution is here which is going to be powered by Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and other technologies to change the way of work.

“Emerging technologies are changing the way we design, plan and execute engineering projects,” he said.

He said that the launching of the country’s first National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics was championed by the agency, adding that it was time engineers learned about new technologies that could advance their work.

He said that the centre was equipped with state of the art facilities that could help design and produce prototype solutions for the 41R.

Inuwa said that the agency was looking forward to work in synergy with NSE to develop an innovation ecosystem for the country.

NSE President, Mr Mohammed Babagana emphasised the importance of engineering in the development of the county.

“Engineering is development, development is engineering and engineering is life,” Babagana said.