Nigeria is developing a technology innovation ecosystem through a collaboration between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the SATH Foundation, aimed at creating a globally competitive technology sector. NITDA presented a pilot report of the initiative, called TechOutlook 2026, which examined five key sectors: Financial Services, Telecommunications, Commerce and Trade, Government Services and Healthcare.
The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said Nigeria cannot build a globally competitive innovation ecosystem based on assumptions, guesswork or reliance on international reports and individual successes. Instead, the country needs to develop what he called ecosystem intelligence and technology intelligence to drive global competitiveness. Such intelligence will help investors identify investment opportunities, enable government to adjust policies and allow innovators to spot emerging technologies and unmet needs.
According to Abdullahi, the ecosystem will work by identifying existing technology gaps in the five selected sectors and providing insights that can redirect government policy, boost technology innovation and attract investor interest. The initiative follows a structured approach where NITDA drives the work and a committee oversees its direction.
Collins Onuegbu, Chairman of SATH Foundation, said TechOutlook was designed as a national platform where technology leaders meet annually to assess Nigeria's current position, anticipate future developments and agree on shared priorities. Under the arrangement, SATH Foundation will act as delivering and managing partner while NITDA and industry players collaborate through joint ownership and stewardship.
For investors and business owners, the ecosystem intelligence will make it easier to identify technology opportunities in Nigeria's key sectors, while for policymakers it provides data-driven insights to shape technology and innovation policy.