The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to positioning Nigeria as a global leader in technology innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Director-General made this projection in Abuja during the closing ceremony of the iHATCH startup incubation programme’s third cohort, which is a joint initiative of NITDA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to cultivate a thriving tech ecosystem in the country.
The partnership is a major step forward in Nigeria’s endeavors to promote innovation and entrepreneurship and it is in line with NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0), specifically to “Forge Strategic Partnership and Collaboration” and “Nurture an Innovative and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.”
Inuwa said in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s priority area of Accelerating Diversification through Industrialisation, Digitisation, Creative Arts, Manufacturing and Innovation, “IHatch programme is fostering a thriving ecosystem for startups, empowering the next generation of tech innovators in Nigeria.”
The NITDA boss, while maintaining that one of the success stories of the iHatch programme is the creation of jobs, noted that “because of the success of cohort one and two, we decided to expand cohort 3 to five locations – Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Gombe.
“Part of the success story of Cohort 1 and 2 was, we trained 16 startups with 32 participants, however, they have created a combined job of 179 and over 1000 indirect jobs,” he added.
The Director-General recalled that the programme, which started in 2022, was initiated to address social issues with innovative and creative solutions, generate employment opportunities, and boost Nigeria’s economic development.
He expatiated: “The initiative is designed to support young entrepreneurs by pairing founders with co-founders, guiding them through the incubation process, and teaching them the fundamentals of building a business from the ground up. The goal is to help them transform their ideas from inception into impactful ventures.”
While challenging the participants to contribute to building a mentoring platform, Inuwa promised NITDA’s support, and urged JICA to consider expanding the initiative to cover all 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory.
He pointed out that “at NITDA, we see this initiative as a gateway to not only enhancing local initiatives but also explore opportunities to export Nigerian talents to Japan.”
In his remarks at the event, the Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, maintained that Japan was committed to promoting entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Nigeria, stressing that his country’s support extends beyond mere technical assistance but focuses on building partnerships that facilitate knowledge exchange.
The Envoy said: “As these startups advance, I foresee a stronger collaboration between Nigerian and Japanese companies, leveraging each other’s strengths for mutual prosperity.
“We have 10 standout ventures that will showcase their ingenuity today, and it is a testament to their hard work and the support they have received. Japan’s involvement in this initiative through JICA shows our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and sustainable development in Nigeria.
“Our experts have provided capacity building and training support, ensuring that these startups gain technical knowledge and imbibe Japanese business ethics, punctuality, adherence to rules, and a relentless pursuit of quality improvement,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, thanked the Japanese government for its support and commended the participants of the iHatch 3 incubation programme.
The lawmaker said: “This is not just about technology; it is about making our country proud and showcasing that Nigerian youth are innovative and creative.
“You are contributing significantly to societal development, and I am extremely proud of each and every one of you for stepping up and making this presentation,” he added.
Speaking at the event, one of the winners and founder of Northinho, Mr. Abubakar Umar, expressed gratitude to NITDA and JICA for their intensive training, promising that he will utilise the cash prize given to him to advance his venture and encouraged fellow entrepreneurs to remain persistent in their endeavours.
Umar enthused: “Believe in what you do, even if your ideas are still evolving. Keep working on your projects, and one day you will look back and appreciate how far you have come.”
Three startups were awarded cash prizes, namely Northinho received $15,000, Dorpals Technologies received $12,000, while Connected received $10,000.
