NITDA Moves to Standardise Innovation Hubs, Expand Nigeria’s Tech Ecosystem
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced efforts to standardise innovation hubs across Nigeria as part of a broader strategy to decentralise the country’s technology ecosystem and unlock opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs and startups beyond the traditional technology centres of Lagos and Abuja.
The initiative was unveiled at the National Innovation Hub Standards Framework Technical Validation Workshop held on Thursday at the Abuja Continental Hotel, where innovation hub operators, investors, development partners, academics, government officials and other stakeholders gathered to review and validate the proposed National Innovation Hub Standards Framework.
Speaking at the workshop, NITDA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, described the framework as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest to build a more inclusive and balanced innovation ecosystem.
“Today, for me, marks a remarkable milestone in our journey of making innovation evenly distributed across Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, innovation thrives within well-designed ecosystems that provide entrepreneurs with the support needed to transform ideas into commercially viable solutions.
He explained that innovation hubs have evolved into critical drivers of technology ecosystems by offering spaces where innovators, students and startups can collaborate, access mentorship and funding, and develop solutions capable of reaching the market.
Abdullahi stressed that the proposed standards framework was designed as a guide rather than a regulatory instrument, enabling innovation hubs to evaluate their strengths, identify operational gaps and chart clear pathways towards growth and maturity.
He disclosed that although Nigeria currently has more than 339 innovation hubs, the majority are concentrated in Lagos, Abuja and a few other states, leaving many talented innovators across the country without adequate support.
The NITDA boss noted that the uneven distribution of innovation infrastructure often forces entrepreneurs from other regions to relocate in search of opportunities.
“We don’t need to build Yaba everywhere. Every state is unique. We can look at the problems around each state and the strengths of each state to build on that,” he said.
According to him, the framework assesses innovation hubs across seven key dimensions and about 35 assessment indicators, providing operators with measurable benchmarks for continuous improvement.
He urged participants to provide constructive feedback during the validation process, emphasising that the document remains a working draft intended to benefit from stakeholder contributions before its final adoption.
Abdullahi also called for stronger collaboration among government, innovation hubs, universities, investors, development partners and the private sector, noting that sustainable innovation ecosystems require skilled talent, entrepreneurs, risk capital and access to markets.
He identified the weak linkage between academia and industry as one of the major constraints limiting Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and disclosed that the Federal Government was already working with the Ministry of Education to integrate digital skills into the country’s education system to produce graduates capable of building globally competitive businesses.
Also speaking, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said Nigeria had developed a clearer understanding of the role technology must play in transforming the economy and improving productivity across sectors.
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He explained that the country’s digital transformation agenda rests on three interconnected layers.
The first, he said, consists of foundational infrastructure such as fibre-optic networks, telecommunications towers, satellites and data centres.
The second layer comprises the technology stack, including digital identity systems, payment infrastructure and data exchange platforms that enable innovators to develop digital solutions.
The third layer consists of the applications, businesses and products created by entrepreneurs to solve economic and societal challenges.
Tijani cited the liberalisation of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, the development of the interbank settlement system and the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as examples of strategic investments that laid the foundation for the country’s thriving fintech industry.
He noted that the Federal Government is intensifying investment in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy about 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables, with implementation expected to begin in October.
The minister also disclosed plans to install approximately 3,700 telecommunications towers in underserved communities, observing that more than 20 million Nigerians still lack adequate telecommunications access.
He added that the country’s communication satellite would complement terrestrial infrastructure by extending connectivity to hard-to-reach areas, while ongoing investments in digital identity and other national digital platforms would further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
Tijani, however, stressed that investments in digital infrastructure alone would not deliver the desired transformation without corresponding support for innovation hubs where entrepreneurs develop and scale their ideas.
Drawing from his experience in the technology sector, he said innovation hubs require adequate funding to attract skilled personnel capable of providing quality mentorship and business support.
He cited the Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) as an example of how sustained investment can build successful innovation ecosystems.
“If we have all the hubs in Nigeria at the same level of quality as CcHub, or even at 50 per cent of that standard, there will be more technology companies emerging not just from Lagos, but from across the country,” Tijani said.
He added that strengthening hubs in cities such as Uyo, Calabar and other emerging technology centres would stimulate entrepreneurship, create jobs and expand Nigeria’s tax base, while reducing dependence on the oil and gas sector.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Victoria Fabumi, described the proposed framework as a strategic tool for strengthening innovation hubs and enhancing their ability to nurture startups.
She likened startups to “babies” that require continuous care, while describing innovation hubs as the “mothers” responsible for providing the support necessary for their growth.
According to Fabumi, the framework will improve the capacity of hubs to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses capable of delivering large-scale impact.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would stimulate innovation across all regions of the country, enabling states such as Zamfara, Yobe, Osun and Jigawa to emerge as vibrant technology ecosystems contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth.
The validation workshop marked another milestone in NITDA’s efforts to build a more coordinated, inclusive and mature innovation ecosystem, with stakeholders expected to refine the framework before its nationwide adoption and implementation.
By PRNigeria
