The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on African innovators, investors and policymakers to build globally competitive technology enterprises, stressing that the continent’s future depends on its ability to create, rather than merely consume, digital solutions.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, made the call in his keynote address at Moonshot 2026, organised by TechCabal at the National Theatre, Lagos, from October 28 to 29, under the theme, “Courage & Conviction — Building for a New World.”
He emphasised that Africa must harness its technological talent to develop innovative solutions, generate intellectual property and establish sustainable technology businesses capable of competing in the global market.
“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.
Abdullahi noted that despite the continent’s exceptional technological talent, significant gaps in infrastructure, financing, mentorship and market access continue to constrain innovation and enterprise development.
He said addressing these challenges would require stronger collaboration among government institutions, universities, investors, technology companies and innovation hubs to create an enabling environment for indigenous innovation.
Highlighting NITDA’s evolving role as an ecosystem orchestrator, the Director-General explained that the Agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) prioritises connecting digital talent to opportunities, research to commercialisation, startups to capital, innovation to markets and technological advancement to public trust.
He urged Nigeria’s technology ecosystem to move beyond celebrating hackathons, pitch competitions and funding announcements to building commercially viable enterprises that create jobs, solve real-world problems 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 stated.
As part of efforts to strengthen indigenous technology enterprises, Abdullahi highlighted the forthcoming Builders’ Festival at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for November 10 to 12, 2026, in Abuja.
The initiative is designed to connect indigenous startups developing solutions to industry challenges with corporate organisations, investors and potential customers, with a target of mobilising a ₦3 billion investment pipeline for promising entrepreneurs.
He clarified that the figure represents a mobilisation target and not funding already secured.
On artificial intelligence, Abdullahi called for increased investment in indigenous AI capabilities, particularly in agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing and local-language technologies.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to develop homegrown solutions that address local challenges rather than remain dependent on imported applications.
The NITDA boss also urged investors to support promising indigenous enterprises, corporations to create opportunities for startup solutions, and government institutions to strengthen enabling policies, infrastructure and strategic partnerships.
He maintained that Africa’s technological competitiveness would depend on three critical foundations: innovation, trust and disciplined execution.
“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 declared.
Abdullahi urged African innovators to embrace global ambition while developing solutions that generate 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.”
