The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have signed a five-year partnership agreement to establish digital technology projects aimed at accelerating digital transformation, innovation, and inclusive economic growth across South-West of Nigeria.

The initiative is expected to position the region as Nigeria’s leading digital hub, expanding access to technology and digital opportunities for millions of citizens in line with the country’s digital economy agenda.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja, will run from 2025 to 2030 and cover Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.

The partnership includes digital literacy programmes and spans NITDA’s broad portfolio of initiatives, as well as innovation hubs, technology development centres, startup ecosystem support, and regulatory frameworks for the digital economy.

It is also expected to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s target of equipping 100 million citizens with digital skills by 2030 through the Digital Literacy-for-All Initiative.

The South-West, with its large population, concentration of tertiary institutions, and strong human capital base, is considered a critical contributor to achieving the national goal.

However, the DAWN Commission had developed a Digital Literacy and Startup Act Implementation Plan to provide a regional framework for coordinating and measuring the projects in the states.

NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, while speaking at the signing ceremony, underscored the importance of regional collaboration in driving balanced digital development across the country.

He noted that the economic disparity between Lagos and other South-West states presents both a challenge and an opportunity, stressing that national development cannot be achieved if parts of the country are left behind.

“We cannot develop if one part of us is lagging behind,” he said.

Abdullahi disclosed plans to establish digital learning centres and functional innovation hubs in every state, while promoting a regional technology development model that leverages the unique economic strengths of each state rather than adopting a uniform approach.

According to him, the South-West should not be viewed solely as a fintech corridor, as individual states possess distinct advantages that can support specialised innovation clusters tailored to local industries and challenges.

The NITDA boss also commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing regional development commissions across the country, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), describing the move as a strategic shift towards proactive national development.

In his remark, DAWN Commission Director-General, Dr Seye Oyeleye, described the agreement as a strategic step towards preparing the South-West for a digital future.

He assured the NITDA that its frameworks would not only be adopted across the region but effectively implemented and monitored to ensure federal digital infrastructure and programmes deliver measurable outcomes.

“NITDA will get value from this MoU. The credibility of regional coordination bodies like the DAWN Commission rests on what we produce, not merely on what we sign,” Oyeleye said.