By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is stepping up efforts to cultivate impactful global partnerships aimed at fostering inclusive growth, driving innovation, and accelerating technological advancement across Nigeria.
According to a NITDA press statement just accessed by our correspondent, which has the e-signature of the Director of Corporate Communications & External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar, this strategic direction was highlighted during a recent meeting held at NITDA Headquarters, Abuja, north central, Nigeria.
The NITDA Director-General, NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, who joined the engagement virtually due to a scheduled follow-up meeting with Google in the United States, regarding investments in national sovereign infrastructure, was ably represented by the Director of the Information Technology Infrastructural Solutions Department, Oladejo Olawumi.
The meeting focused on discussions with the founder of SGgrow, a firm committed to identifying and supporting promising Nigerian startup investment opportunities and connecting them with global ecosystems Hiro Mashita.
Mallam Abdullahi highlighted NITDA’s proactive approach to international collaboration, emphasising the Agency’s strong existing relationship with the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Abdullahi announced an upcoming signing ceremony for a significant innovation project being established in Abuja with JICA’s support adding that there was ongoing partnership with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to establish a dedicated fund.
While noting that the success of the collaboration with JICA was the iHatch initiative, a co-designed idea incubation programme, the NITDA DG stated that “We have been collaborating with them on so many initiatives like iHatch. The pilot we did resulted in creating over 117 direct jobs and more than 370 indirect jobs, and now we are working together with them to expand it to all 36 states and the FCT. The initiative provides Nigerian startups with six months of incubation, leveraging JICA’s expertise and resources to develop market-ready products”.
He added that, “NITDA and JICA are actively working to bridge the Nigerian and Japanese tech ecosystems, facilitating networking opportunities and sponsoring Nigerian startups to participate in activities in Japan.”
The NITDA boss affirmed that SGgrow’s objectives strongly aligned with NITDA’s mandate to digitally empower Nigeria through inclusive technology and innovation. “Your presentation perfectly aligns with our mandate and what we do as an Agency,” he stated, emphasising the Agency’s vision of leveraging technology across all sectors to drive national prosperity and inclusivity and stressed the crucial role of a robust startup ecosystem in achieving this vision.
According to Abdullahi, NITDA was actively building a repository of labeled and compliant startups to enhance transparency and facilitate potential government incentives, including matching funding through collaborations adding the agency was also developing an investment framework, including efforts with Google to build vital digital sovereign infrastructure.
The NITDA boss expressed NITDA’s keen interest in exploring a collaborative framework with SGgrow, potentially involving their existing partnership with JICA. “We can explore how we can work together to build a framework; maybe even to work with JICA to have strong participation from the Japanese government, startups, and other investors. For me, it is more about cooperation than competition,”he disclosed.
Earlier, in his statement, Mr. Mashita articulated his company’s mission to identify and support promising Nigerian startups, providing them with opportunities for growth and exposure. Mashita highlighted their long-term investment approach and belief in Nigeria’s potential as an economic giant, aiming to serve as a key liaison between Nigeria and Japan.
He proposed exploring potential joint projects, enhancing support for Nigerian startups, and examining the possibilities for stock exchange effects within the Nigerian startup ecosystem. He also underscored the importance of intergovernmental relationships in fostering a conducive investment environment.
Cyber Era NG learns that this engagement underscores NITDA’s commitment to seeking and fostering international collaborations that inject expertise, investment, and opportunities into Nigeria’s burgeoning digital economy, ultimately driving inclusive growth and technological advancement for the nation.
ihatch initiative,
