NITDA Seeks Regulators’ Collaboration to Fast-track National Regulatory Sandbox
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NITDA Seeks Regulators’ Collaboration to Fast-track National Regulatory Sandbox
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, has called for stronger collaboration among government regulators to accelerate the establishment of Nigeria’s National Regulatory Sandbox, saying inter-agency cooperation is critical to building an innovation-friendly regulatory ecosystem.
Inuwa made the call in Abuja at the National Regulatory Sandbox Governance and Implementation Planning Workshop, where he urged regulators to work together to develop a framework that would promote technological innovation while safeguarding regulatory integrity and public trust.
Represented by the National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation, Victoria Fabunmi, the NITDA boss said the workshop marked a transition from the design phase of the project to its implementation stage, where regulators would jointly refine and validate the proposed governance structure before its rollout.
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He disclosed that the ONDI had spent several months laying the groundwork for the initiative through stakeholder consultations, ecosystem mapping, regulatory assessments and the preparation of a draft governance and implementation framework.
According to him, while the preparatory work has provided a solid foundation, the success of the National Regulatory Sandbox will depend on the collective ownership of the initiative by all relevant regulatory institutions.
“The work completed so far provides a solid foundation, but the National Regulatory Sandbox can only achieve its objectives through collective ownership by all relevant regulatory institutions,” Inuwa said.
He explained that the Technical Working Group was established as a collaborative platform to leverage the expertise, experience and statutory mandates of participating agencies in developing a regulatory model suited to Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
The NITDA chief added that the workshop was designed to review the proposed governance framework, test its assumptions and incorporate stakeholders’ recommendations to ensure the final model is inclusive, effective and adaptable to the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
According to him, the engagement will also define implementation pathways, strengthen institutional partnerships and identify priority actions needed to operationalise the National Regulatory Sandbox.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would provide innovators with a safe environment to develop, test and scale new technologies under appropriate regulatory oversight while supporting sustainable economic growth and improving Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
Speaking on the initiative, Implementing Partner at Druve, Ojonoka Yusufu, said the National Regulatory Sandbox would provide a coordinated framework through which innovators and regulators could work together to test emerging technologies while ensuring compliance with existing laws and regulations.
She said the workshop was convened to build a shared understanding among participating regulators, develop consensus on the Sandbox’s operating model, identify implementation gaps before rollout and agree on the next steps for successful implementation.
“We do not have anything set in stone yet. The idea is to work together to build a common understanding and ensure that all participating regulators and stakeholders are aligned on the objectives and implementation of the National Regulatory Sandbox,” Yusufu said.
She noted that Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology sector remains one of the country’s biggest contributors to Gross Domestic Product, while the nation’s startup ecosystem continues to attract significant global investment.
According to her, the rapid expansion of Nigerian startups into sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and mobility, beyond financial technology, has made stronger regulatory coordination increasingly necessary.
Yusufu added that the National Regulatory Sandbox is backed by the Nigeria Startup Act, providing the legal framework to support responsible innovation and improve the country’s regulatory environment.
She described the initiative as a collaborative, multi-agency innovation governance mechanism designed to complement, rather than replace, existing regulatory institutions.
