The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has challenged African innovators, investors and policymakers to move the continent from being a major consumer of digital technologies to becoming a globally competitive creator of innovative solutions and technology-driven enterprises.
Inuwa made the call in his keynote address prepared for 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 said Africa’s technological future must be driven by innovation, entrepreneurship, collaboration and measurable economic impact rather than dependence on imported technologies.
“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.
The NITDA boss noted that although Africa possesses exceptional technological talent, the continent continues to face challenges relating to infrastructure, access to finance, mentorship and market opportunities.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among governments, universities, investors, technology companies and innovation hubs to address the challenges and unlock the continent’s digital potential.
Highlighting NITDA’s evolving role in strengthening the technology ecosystem, Inuwa said the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) prioritises connecting digital talent to opportunities, research to commercialisation, startups to capital, and innovation to markets.
He urged Nigeria’s technology ecosystem to move beyond celebrating hackathons, pitch competitions and funding announcements to building commercially viable enterprises capable of creating jobs, solving real-world problems and competing 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 said.
Inuwa also highlighted the forthcoming Builders’ Festival at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for November 10 to 12, 2026, in Abuja.
He explained that the initiative would connect indigenous startups developing solutions to real industry challenges with corporate organisations, investors and potential customers.
According to him, the initiative is targeting a ₦3 billion investment pipeline for promising entrepreneurs, clarifying that the figure represents a mobilisation target and not funding already secured.
On artificial intelligence, the NITDA director-general called on Nigeria to develop indigenous AI capabilities in critical sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing and local-language technologies, rather than remain dependent on imported applications.
He also urged investors to support promising indigenous technology businesses, corporations to create opportunities for startup solutions, and government institutions to strengthen policies, infrastructure and strategic partnerships that encourage innovation.
Inuwa 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 stated.
He urged African innovators to pursue global ambitions while developing homegrown solutions capable of creating sustainable 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,” he added.
