NITDA targets ₦3bn deals for Nigerian startups
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NITDA targets ₦3bn deals for Nigerian startups
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has unveiled a ₦3bn investment and contract pipeline for Nigerian startups through its newly introduced Builders Festival.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition in Abuja.
He said the initiative was designed to connect Nigerian startups with investors, customers and organisations seeking technology-driven solutions to operational challenges.
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According to him, the festival aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and economic reforms aimed at creating an enabling business environment, attracting investments and strengthening private-sector participation in economic growth.
Abdullahi explained that the initiative would match pre-qualified startups with more than 100 verified operational challenges submitted by ministries, government agencies, corporate organisations and financial institutions.
He said the three-day festival featured a Deal Room where startups and prospective clients could negotiate pilot projects, sign memoranda of understanding and secure investment and contract opportunities.
The NITDA boss identified access to customers as one of the major challenges confronting Nigerian startups, noting that the initiative would encourage public and private institutions to adopt locally developed technological solutions.
He added that the platform would create opportunities for startups to expand their operations, generate employment, retain skilled talents and contribute to the growth of the country’s digital economy.
“With Nigerian startups raising $635m in the first nine months of 2026, the ₦3bn pipeline further strengthens the country’s position as a leading destination for startup investment in Africa,” he said.
Abdullahi said the Builders Festival demonstrated how the Digital Nigeria International Conference was translating discussions and technological innovations into tangible economic opportunities, with locally developed solutions placed at the centre of national development.
