Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving Nigeria’s 70 per cent digital literacy target.
The agency said more investment in digital skills, infrastructure and innovation was needed to deepen the country’s digital transformation and equip more citizens to participate in the digital economy.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition.
Abdullahi, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Special Duties, Office of the Director-General, Dr Aristotle Onumo, disclosed that broadband penetration rose to 57.4 per cent in July 2026, from 48.8 per cent in August 2025.
He added that more than 157 million Nigerians now had access to internet services, while data consumption reached 1.66 million terabytes in July, representing an increase of almost 50 per cent over the corresponding period of 2025.
According to him, telecommunications and information services contributed more than N5.2 trillion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the second quarter of 2026, growing at more than twice the rate of the broader economy.
Despite the progress, he said the country had yet to achieve its digital literacy target, stressing the need for stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia and international partners.
“Our progress is real, but our gaps are visible. Our target as a nation, which is to ensure 70 per cent digital literacy, is yet to be accomplished. We are still in progress,” he said.
Abdullahi said the conference was designed to move beyond speeches and discussions to practical engagements capable of generating investments, commercial agreements, jobs and improved public services.
He identified four pillars of the event: the Builders’ Festival, the main conference, practical masterclasses and the Nigeria Digital Honours Award.
He said the Builders’ Festival was designed to connect Nigerian technology startups with government institutions and private organisations seeking solutions to operational challenges.
According to him, more than 100 verified challenges had been identified across sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, financial technology, logistics, digital identity and telecommunications.
NITDA had matched the challenges with pre-qualified Nigerian startups with products ready for deployment, rather than businesses presenting only ideas or prototypes.
The initiative, he said, was targeting a N3 billion investment pipeline through partnerships and memoranda of understanding between the startups and participating institutions.
He noted that Nigerian startups attracted close to $635 million in funding in the first nine months of 2026 but stressed that access to customers remained critical to their sustainability.
“Capital alone is not enough. Our startups need customers. And the biggest customers in any economy are the institutions,” he said.
The NITDA chief said the conference’s masterclasses would provide practical training in product development, marketing, project management and technology, while the Nigeria Digital Honours Award would recognise outstanding contributions to the country’s digital development.
Also speaking, the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, Jimmy Mauldin, called for greater cooperation between Nigeria and international technology partners to accelerate digital development.
Mauldin said Nigeria had the talent, entrepreneurial energy and growing technology sector required to compete globally, adding that innovation and security, as well as domestic capacity and international partnerships, should be pursued together.
He disclosed that the United States had supported a feasibility study by the United States Trade and Development Agency for artificial intelligence-ready data centres in Nigeria.
According to him, modern digital infrastructure, secure technology and international partnerships would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
“Real technological sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation. It means choosing the best technology in the world while building your own national champions on top of it,” he said.
In his remarks, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Engr. Jani Ibrahim, said digital transformation was critical to achieving the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
He said the country’s nearly 40 million micro, small and medium enterprises accounted for about 46 per cent of GDP and almost 88 per cent of employment, making their digital transformation essential to economic growth.
Ibrahim said the partnership between NITDA and NACCIMA would connect technology developers with businesses requiring digital solutions, giving startups access to customers, contracts and investment opportunities.
He identified business-to-business deal rooms, a 10,000 AI Enterprise Accelerator and digital trust as major areas of collaboration.
He explained that the AI programme would help businesses deploy artificial intelligence in demand forecasting, equipment maintenance, agricultural data analysis, bookkeeping and marketing.
The NACCIMA president urged corporate organisations to patronise Nigerian technology companies and called on investors to support local startups with funding and access to markets.
“Do not merely admire Nigerian innovation. Please buy it, and not only do that, fund it,” he said.
He added that digital transformation must extend to rural businesses, women-owned enterprises, young entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities to ensure inclusive economic benefits.
The three-day conference brought together government officials, technology leaders, policymakers, startups, investors and innovators to discuss digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital public infrastructure.
