NITDA to increase Nigeria’s share in tech innovation, entrepreneurship

By Adeyemi Adepetun

14 August 2024 | 4:00 am

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated its commitment to positioning the country as a global leader in technology innovation and entrepreneurship.

NITDA DG, Kashifu Inuwa PHOTO: X/@NITDANigeria

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated its commitment to positioning the country as a global leader in technology innovation and entrepreneurship.

The commitment was made by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullai, during the closing ceremony of the iHATCH startup incubation programme’s third cohort in Abuja. The programme, a joint initiative of NITDA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aimed to cultivate a thriving tech ecosystem in Nigeria.

This partnership is a major step forward in Nigeria’s endeavors to promote innovation and entrepreneurship and it is in line with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), specifically to “forge strategic partnership and collaboration” and “nurture an innovative and entrepreneur ship ecosystem.”

Abdullai said in line with the plan of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to accelerate diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing and innovation, “IHatch programme is fostering a thriving ecosystem for startups, empowering the next generation of tech innovators in Nigeria.”

The NITDA boss, while maintaining that one of the success stories of the iHatch programme is the creation of jobs, he noted that “Because of the success of cohort one and two, we decided to expand Cohort 3 to five locations – Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Gombe.

“Part of the success story of Cohort one and two was that we trained 16 startups with 32 participants, however, they have created a combined job of 179 and over 1000 indirect jobs,” he added.
The DG recalled that the programme, which started in 2022 is designed to tackle social issues with innovative and creative solutions, generate employment opportunities, and boost Nigeria’s economic development.

He said: “The initiative is designed to support young entrepreneurs by pairing founders with co-founders, guiding them through the incubation process, and teaching them the fundamentals of building a business from the ground up. The goal is to help them transform their ideas from inception into impactful ventures.”

While challenging the participants to contribute to building a mentoring platform, Inuwa promised NITDA’s support and urged JICA to consider expanding the initiative to cover all 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory.

He noted that “At NITDA, we see this initiative as a gateway to not only enhancing local initiatives but also exploring opportunities to export Nigerian talents to Japan.”

On his part, Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, stated that Japan is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Nigeria during his remarks.

He emphasised that Japan’s support extends beyond mere technical assistance but focuses on building partnerships that facilitate knowledge exchange.

“As these startups advance, I foresee a stronger collaboration between Nigerian and Japanese companies, leveraging each other’s strengths for mutual prosperity,” Kazuyoshi stated.

He added that since the programme commences in 2021, it has empowered early-stage businesses that are dedicated to addressing societal challenges through innovative technologies and ideas.

“We have 10 standout ventures that will showcase their ingenuity today, and it is a testament to their hard work and the support they have received. Japan’s involvement in this initiative through JICA shows our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Nigeria.

“Our experts have provided capacity building and training support, ensuring that these startups gain technical knowledge and imbibe Japanese business ethics, punctuality, adherence to rules, and a relentless pursuit of quality improvement,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for their support and commended the participants of the iHatch 3 incubation programme.