BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has advocated the need to translate Nigeria’s wealth of technology talent, innovative ideas and entrepreneurial achievements into a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.
Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, who stated this at the Tech Outlook in Lagos, pointed out that a stronger ecosystem requires reliable digital infrastructure, supportive policies, strategic investments and collaboration among the government, industry leaders, investors and innovators.
He noted that NITDA in collaboration with the SATH Foundation, is advancing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s technology ecosystem through the Nigeria Tech Outlook, an initiative designed to guide investment, inform policymaking and accelerate technology adoption across key sectors of the economy.
Abdullahi said that the initiative would provide evidence-based insights to help policymakers, businesses, investors and innovators identify gaps in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and develop solutions to address them.
He said that although Nigerian innovators and technology companies have achieved significant success, individual accomplishments alone cannot guarantee global competitiveness.
The Nigeria Tech Outlook will provide evidence-based insights into the country’s technology landscape, helping stakeholders understand the level of technology access, adoption and its contribution to productivity across the economy.
This is even as the first edition of the report will examine five sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, commerce and trade, government services, and healthcare.
Abdullahi highlighted the importance of research in identifying market opportunities, adding that more than 80 per cent of over 2,000 Nigerians surveyed expressed willingness to use telemedicine services, while fewer than 20 per cent had ever used them.
He explained that such findings could help investors identify underserved markets, encourage innovators to develop relevant solutions and guide policymakers in addressing barriers to technology adoption.
The Tech Outlook will also examine emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, alongside digital trust and governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud computing and digital infrastructure.
Abdullahi hinted that technology policies and regulations must be grounded in research and industry realities rather than assumptions, calling on industry leaders to contribute their expertise to reviewing the findings and identifying practical interventions that support investment, innovation and economic growth.
The initiative is expected to provide the government with insights for evidence-based policymaking, businesses with a clearer understanding of technology adoption gaps, investors with information to guide investment decisions, and innovators with opportunities to develop solutions to pressing national challenges.
Scheduled for launch at the Digital Nigeria International Conference, the first edition of the Nigeria Tech Outlook seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s technology intelligence, unlock new investment opportunities and position the country to build a globally competitive innovation ecosystem driven by research, collaboration and homegrown solutions.
The Founder and Chairman of SATH Foundation, Collins Onuegbu noted that technology has become central to Nigeria’s economic and social development, transforming how people work, trade, communicate, learn and access public services.
He said that digital innovation is reshaping business operations, government engagement, security, productivity and national competitiveness.
Onuegbu noted that conducting the assessment annually would create institutional memory, enabling stakeholders to track progress, evaluate existing priorities and build a stronger evidence base for decisions concerning the country’s digital future.
He was optimistic that the gathering should move beyond speeches to encourage meaningful engagement and actionable outcomes that support Nigeria’s technology development, economic growth and national competitiveness.
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