JICA, NITDA Driving Nigeria’s Startup Boom — Inuwa
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JICA, NITDA Driving Nigeria’s Startup Boom — Inuwa
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA Kashifu Inuwa, says Nigeria’s partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency is fuelling the country’s startup revolution and lifting its innovation ecosystem to new heights.
Inuwa stated this at the closing of the Survey on the Digitisation of Supply Chains in Small-Scale Nigerian Farms in Abuja.
The project was executed by AGROVESTO, a JICA-funded agritech startup and one of the beneficiaries of NITDA’s iHatch Incubation Programme (Cohort 2).
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Represented by Dr Amina Sambo-Magaji, Deputy Director, e-Government and Digital Economy Development Department, the NITDA boss described the collaboration as a game-changer for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He said Nigeria had become one of Africa’s most vibrant startup hubs, with young innovators solving local problems that now have global impact.
“Nigeria is home to over 200 fintech startups revolutionising financial services, fostering inclusion, and empowering millions. Companies like Paystack, Flutterwave, and Paga are proof that Nigerian talent is world-class,” Inuwa said.
The DG explained that the iHatch programme, run jointly with JICA, equips young founders with mentorship, training, seed funding and ecosystem support.
According to him, the initiative is helping startups scale across fintech, agritech, healthtech and other sectors.
He also pointed to the Nigeria Startup Act as another boost for the ecosystem, noting that it offers incentives such as tax holidays, easier registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, government-backed grants, innovation hubs and regulatory sandboxes.
“These measures are designed to attract investment, nurture talent and make Nigerian startups globally competitive,” he said.
“Through strategic partnerships like JICA, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth, inclusive development and global recognition.”
On his part, JICA’s Chief Representative in Nigeria, Mr Ishigame Kenji, praised AGROVESTO for its creativity and commitment, urging the startup to expand its digitisation project to more farmers nationwide.
AGROVESTO’s Co-founder and CEO, Mr Bayo Adewoye, also commended Nigerian farmers for their resilience, promising that the startup would keep deploying technology to strengthen agriculture and food supply chains.
