NITDA seeks to enhance Nigerian startups, taps support from Japanese partner
By Blessing Emmanuel
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is stepping up its efforts to ensure Nigerian startups do more than just survive — it wants them to flourish, backed by stronger ties with international partners such as Japan.
During a recent meeting at its headquarters in Abuja, NITDA hosted Mr Hiro Mashita, founder of SGgrow — a firm dedicated to linking promising startups with global investors. The conversation centred on how Nigeria’s emerging tech ventures can gain broader international exposure and attract sustainable long-term investment.
Although NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, was unable to attend in person due to his ongoing engagement with Google in the United States, he was represented by Mr Oladejo Olawumi, Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions.
A key point of discussion was NITDA’s strengthening partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Inuwa, joining virtually, spoke about the success of the iHatch programme — a six-month startup incubation initiative developed in collaboration with JICA.
“The pilot we launched created over 117 direct jobs and more than 370 indirect ones,” Inuwa shared. “We’re now aiming to extend the programme to cover all 36 states and the FCT.”
SGgrow’s vision closely mirrors NITDA’s mission to build a digitally driven economy fuelled by local innovation. Inuwa spoke of the agency’s drive to establish a transparent database of startups that qualify for both private investment and public sector incentives.
He also pointed to the value of collaboration, adding, “This is not about competition — it’s about cooperation and working together for shared success.”
Mr Mashita, for his part, expressed strong faith in the potential of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem, describing it as a future economic powerhouse in the making. He proposed a closer partnership with NITDA, which could involve co-developing projects, expanding support for home-grown startups, and even laying the groundwork for Nigerian tech companies to access international stock markets.
