News Highlights:
- Nigeria positions itself as Africa’s digital launchpad, inviting global investors to tap into its youthful, tech-driven economy.
- GITEX Nigeria 2025 is set to spotlight innovation in Lagos and policy reforms in Abuja, showcasing the nation’s readiness to lead the digital future.
With global attention turning toward Africa’s digital potential, Nigeria has stepped confidently into the spotlight, urging investors to seize the moment and partner with one of the continent’s fastest-growing innovation ecosystems.
Speaking at a high-level breakfast meeting during GITEX Africa 2025 in Marrakech, Morocco, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, delivered a compelling invitation to global tech leaders, startups, and venture capitalists to plug into Nigeria’s thriving digital economy.
“We have the talent, we have the digital native population, and we are nurturing an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Inuwa said. “We need to challenge the status quo, use technology to disrupt the way we do things, and create a collective intelligence where people work with technology to make lives better. That is the Nigeria we are creating.”
His remarks come ahead of GITEX Nigeria 2025, a major tech and investment event slated for September 1–4 in Abuja and Lagos, aimed at showcasing Nigeria’s innovation strength, investor-friendly policy reforms, and deepening digital collaboration across Africa.
Inuwa emphasized that Nigeria’s demographic edge—with over 70% of its population under 25—makes it a talent-rich launchpad for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Nigeria is a country with a large, youthful, innovative, creative, and highly competent workforce,” he noted. “Startups and scale-ups can continuously thrive here, and entrepreneurial spirit and technological advancement are already reshaping our landscape.”
He underlined the government’s commitment to building digital infrastructure, expanding digital literacy, and fostering digital sovereignty through cloud adoption and scalable digital solutions.
“The president is bullish about digital infrastructure,” he said. “We are not just teaching young people to consume technology—we are empowering them to create it.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s dual role as both innovation hub and policy laboratory, he revealed that Abuja would focus on governance and reforms during the conference, while Lagos would bring the startup energy and investment excitement.
“Abuja will host the discussions on enabling policies, while Lagos, Africa’s most vibrant startup ecosystem, will showcase our innovation potential,” he said.
The session also featured endorsements from key global players including Mr. Vijayaragavan Venugopal, Sales Director at ZOHO, who affirmed Nigeria’s position at the forefront of Africa’s tech growth. “Zoho has been focused on Africa for the last seven years, and Nigeria leads that growth,” he said.
“We’re excited to be in Nigeria for GITEX—it’s not just about Nigeria, but empowering the whole of Africa.”
Adding a call for deeper, people-centric investment, Olu Olufemi White, CEO of Alami Capital, stressed that tech innovation must go hand-in-hand with human impact and sustainability. “Technology can only thrive with reliable energy and sustainable finance,” she noted.
“Please don’t wait till we become big and the rest of the world begins to tell our stories. We want you to tell it with us—and walk hand in hand with us to build the nation of our dreams.”
With excitement building toward GITEX Nigeria, the message from Marrakech was clear: Nigeria is not waiting to be discovered—it is ready to lead.