NITDA DG challenges African innovators to build global tech enterprises
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has challenged African innovators, investors and policymakers to move the continent beyond consuming imported digital technologies to creating globally competitive solutions and technology enterprises.
He said Africa’s technological future depended on its ability to develop indigenous innovations, generate intellectual property and build sustainable businesses capable of competing in the global market.
Abdullahi stated this in his keynote address prepared for Moonshot 2026, organised by TechCabal at the National Theatre, Lagos, between October 28 and 29.
The event was held under the theme, ‘Courage and Conviction: Building for a New World.’
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According to a statement on the address, the NITDA boss said Africa had considerable technological talent but continued to face challenges relating to infrastructure, access to finance, mentorship and market opportunities.
He called for stronger collaboration among governments, universities, investors, technology companies and innovation hubs to address the gaps.
“Africa’s next chapter will not be written by the technologies we consume. It will be written by the value we have the courage to create,” he declared.
Explaining the agency’s approach to developing the technology ecosystem, Abdullahi said its Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0 prioritised connecting digital talent to opportunities, research to commercialisation, startups to capital and innovation to markets.
He added that the framework was also designed to strengthen public trust in technological advancement.
The NITDA chief challenged stakeholders to move beyond celebrating hackathons, pitch competitions and funding announcements, stressing the need to establish commercially viable enterprises that create jobs, address societal challenges and compete internationally.
“The true measure of an innovation ecosystem is not how many startups it celebrates. It is how many sustainable enterprises it helps create,” he said.
Abdullahi also announced plans for the Builders’ Festival at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition scheduled for November 10 to 12, 2026, in Abuja.
He said the initiative would connect indigenous startups developing solutions to practical industry challenges with corporate organisations, investors and prospective customers.
The programme is targeting a N3bn investment pipeline for promising entrepreneurs, although he clarified that the figure represented a mobilisation target and not funding already secured.
On artificial intelligence, the NITDA director-general urged Nigeria to develop indigenous capabilities that would address critical sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing and local-language technologies.
He warned against excessive dependence on imported artificial intelligence applications, arguing that Nigeria and other African countries needed to develop solutions that reflected their peculiar economic and social realities.
The agency’s chief also urged investors to support indigenous technology businesses, while calling on corporations to provide opportunities for startups to deploy their innovations.
He further urged government institutions to strengthen policies, infrastructure and strategic partnerships necessary for sustainable technological development.
Abdullahi identified innovation, trust and disciplined execution as critical foundations for Africa’s technological competitiveness.
“The future will not belong only to those who predict it. It will belong to those with the courage to build it, the conviction to sustain it, and the discipline to make it work,” he said.
He urged African innovators to pursue global ambitions while developing solutions capable of generating lasting economic opportunities and prosperity across the continent.
“Let us stop asking whether Africa can build the future. Let us start demonstrating how Africa will build it,” he added.
