NITDA, SATH Foundation unveil plan to boost tech investment
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NITDA, SATH Foundation unveil plan to boost tech investment
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA and the SATH Foundation have launched an initiative to guide technology investment, strengthen policymaking and accelerate digital adoption across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The initiative, known as the Nigeria Tech Outlook, is designed to provide evidence-based insights into the country’s technology ecosystem and identify opportunities for investment, innovation and economic growth.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this at the Tech Outlook event in Lagos, stressing the need to transform Nigeria’s technology talent and entrepreneurial achievements into a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.
Inuwa said individual successes by Nigerian innovators and technology companies would not be sufficient to establish global competitiveness without reliable digital infrastructure, supportive policies, strategic investments and collaboration among stakeholders.
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He explained that the first edition of the report would assess technology access, adoption and its contribution to productivity in five sectors: financial services, telecommunications, commerce and trade, government services, and healthcare.
The NITDA chief cited findings from a survey of more than 2,000 Nigerians, which showed that over 80 per cent of respondents were willing to use telemedicine services, while fewer than 20 per cent had ever used them.
According to him, the findings demonstrate how research could help investors identify underserved markets, encourage innovators to develop relevant solutions and guide policymakers in removing barriers to technology adoption.
He said the report would also examine emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, as well as cybersecurity, digital trust, data privacy, cloud computing and digital infrastructure.
Inuwa urged industry leaders to contribute their expertise to reviewing the report’s findings and identifying practical interventions that would promote investment, innovation and economic growth.
He added that technology policies and regulations should be based on research and industry realities rather than assumptions.
The initiative is expected to provide government with evidence for policymaking, help businesses identify technology adoption gaps, guide investors towards viable opportunities and enable innovators to develop solutions to national challenges.
The first edition of the Nigeria Tech Outlook is scheduled for launch at the Digital Nigeria International Conference.
Meanwhile, the founder of the SATH Foundation, Collins Onuegbu, said technology had become central to Nigeria’s economic and social development, transforming how people work, trade, communicate, learn and access public services.
Onuegbu noted that digital innovation was reshaping business operations, government engagement, security, productivity and national competitiveness.
He said conducting the assessment annually would create institutional memory, allowing stakeholders to monitor progress, evaluate existing priorities and build a stronger evidence base for decisions concerning Nigeria’s digital future.
The SATH Foundation founder called for meaningful engagement and practical outcomes from the initiative, rather than discussions that ended with speeches, adding that collaboration was essential to advancing technology development and national competitiveness.
