By Saminu Ibrahim
The National Information
Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the SATH Foundation have partnered to strengthen Nigeria’s technology ecosystem through the Nigeria Tech Outlook, an initiative aimed at guiding investment, shaping policies and accelerating technology adoption across key sectors.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed this at the Tech Outlook event in Lagos, stressing the need to harness Nigeria’s technology talent, innovative ideas and entrepreneurial achievements to build a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.
Inuwa noted that while Nigerian innovators and technology companies had recorded significant successes, individual achievements alone were insufficient to guarantee global competitiveness.
He said sustainable growth in the technology sector required reliable digital infrastructure, supportive policies, strategic investments and stronger collaboration among government, industry leaders, investors and innovators.
According to him, the Nigeria Tech Outlook would provide evidence-based insights into the country’s technology landscape, helping stakeholders assess technology access, adoption and its impact on productivity across the economy.
He disclosed that the first edition of the report would focus on five key sectors: financial services, telecommunications, commerce and trade, government services, and healthcare.
Highlighting the importance of research in identifying investment opportunities, Inuwa revealed that more than 80 per cent of over 2,000 Nigerians surveyed expressed willingness to use telemedicine services, but fewer than 20 per cent had ever used them.
He said the findings demonstrated the potential for technology-driven solutions to address gaps in service delivery while helping investors identify underserved markets and guiding policymakers in removing barriers to adoption.
The report will also examine emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, as well as cybersecurity, data privacy, digital trust and governance, cloud computing and digital infrastructure.
Inuwa emphasised that technology policies and regulations must be informed by research and industry realities rather than assumptions.
He urged industry leaders to contribute their expertise to reviewing the report’s findings and identifying practical interventions that would promote investment, innovation and economic growth.
The NITDA chief said the initiative would provide government with reliable data for evidence-based policymaking, help businesses identify technology adoption gaps, guide investors in making informed decisions and enable innovators to develop solutions to national challenges.
The first edition of the Nigeria Tech Outlook is scheduled for launch at the Digital Nigeria International Conference.
Also speaking, the Founder and Chairman of the SATH Foundation, Collins Onuegbu, said technology had become central to Nigeria’s economic and social development, transforming how people work, trade, communicate, learn and access public services.
He noted that digital innovation was reshaping business operations, government engagement, security, productivity and national competitiveness.
Onuegbu said conducting the assessment annually would create institutional memory, enabling stakeholders to track progress, evaluate priorities and build a stronger evidence base for decisions concerning Nigeria’s digital future.
He stressed the need for the engagement to go beyond speeches and produce practical outcomes capable of advancing technology development, economic growth and national competitiveness.
The partnership between NITDA and the SATH Foundation is expected to strengthen technology intelligence, unlock investment opportunities and support the development of a globally competitive Nigerian innovation ecosystem driven by research, collaboration and homegrown solutions.
