News Highlights:
- Nigeria Launches Startup Consultative Forum to Accelerate Startup Act Implementation
- NITDA Positions Startups as Central to National Development
Nigeria has taken a significant step toward advancing its innovation landscape with the official launch of the Startup Consultative Forum, an initiative designed to fast-track the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) and reinforce the nation’s growing tech startup ecosystem.
Speaking at the launch, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, represented by Barrister Emmanuel Edet, NITDA’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, emphasized that the forum is more than a routine stakeholder gathering.
“It is a commitment to building a stronger tech ecosystem through collaboration, inclusion, and data-driven governance,” he said, marking the event as a new chapter in the NSA’s implementation.
Inuwa highlighted that the Nigeria Startup Act serves not just as legislation, but as a strategic framework for national development. “Startups are not fringe players—they are central to Nigeria’s economic future,” he asserted.
Over the past eight months, NITDA has actively driven the Act’s rollout through nationwide engagements. These include stakeholder workshops in 10 states, participation in major tech events such as Lagos Tech Week, the Omniverse Summit, Moonlight Conference, and Akwa Ibom Tech Week, alongside digital and in-person awareness campaigns.
The newly established forum will serve as a feedback hub, helping to identify regulatory gaps, inform policy adjustments, and foster a more enabling environment for startups to thrive.
Aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and under the guidance of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, NITDA continues to champion startup growth through initiatives like the Nigeria Startup Portal, deployment of tech infrastructure, and widespread digital skills training.
“Inclusion is not charity—it is a strategy,” Inuwa noted, stressing the importance of policies that ensure representation across gender, region, and sector.
Formally inaugurating the forum on behalf of the DG, Oladejo Olawunmi, Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions, inspired attendees with a call to collective action. “We are committed to nurturing an environment where innovation can flourish. Let us shape ideas into policies and outcomes that make a lasting difference,” he urged.
In her opening remarks, Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), described the Forum as a “structured dialogue between those building the future and those enabling it.” She laid out five foundational pillars for success: access to funding, capacity building, supportive policies, inclusive innovation, and global competitiveness.
Fabunmi encouraged startups to speak boldly, the private sector to contribute beyond capital, development partners to amplify successful models, and government to coordinate efforts effectively. “This Forum must be a platform for solving problems, not just another talk shop,” she stated.
With the launch of the Startup Consultative Forum, NITDA is transforming policy into action, placing startups at the heart of Nigeria’s innovation journey.
The virtual event drew participation from a wide array of stakeholders, including private sector leaders, development agencies, accredited Ecosystem Support Organisations (ESOs), angel investors, venture capitalists, and recognised startups across the country.