NITDA–JICA Partnership Boosts Startup Ecosystem, Driving Nigeria’s Tech Innovation — DG Inuwa

Dr. Onimisi, representing the DG of NITDA, delivering a presentation at a workshop organised by the NIQS FCT Chapter at the National Engineering Centre, Abuja.

NITDA–JICA Partnership Boosts Startup Ecosystem, Driving Nigeria’s Tech Innovation — DG Inuwa

By Gloria Sarauniya Usman

ABUJA, NIGERIA September, 2025 - The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has hailed Nigeria’s partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a major catalyst for the nation’s technology and startup ecosystem.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Survey on the Digitisation of Supply Chains in Small-Scale Nigerian Farms, organised by AGROVESTO — a JICA-funded agritech startup and beneficiary of NITDA’s iHatch Incubation Programme — Inuwa, represented by Dr. Amina Sambo-Magaji, Deputy Director, e-Government and Digital Economy Development Department, said the collaboration is laying the groundwork for Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.

He noted that Nigeria has grown into one of Africa’s most vibrant startup ecosystems, citing success stories like Paystack, Flutterwave, and Paga as examples of young entrepreneurs solving local challenges with global impact. He highlighted iHatch, a joint incubation and acceleration programme by NITDA and JICA, which provides training, mentorship, seed funding, and ecosystem support for startups across diverse sectors.

According to him, the recently enacted Nigeria Startup Act has further strengthened the ecosystem by introducing incentives such as tax holidays, simplified registration processes with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), government-backed grants, innovation hubs, and regulatory sandboxes. These measures, he explained, are designed to lower barriers, stimulate investment, and position Nigerian innovators for global competitiveness.

Chief Representative of JICA in Nigeria, Mr. Ishigame Kenji, commended AGROVESTO for its dedication and urged the startup to expand its digital solutions to reach more farmers nationwide. Earlier, AGROVESTO Co-Founder and CEO, Bayo Adewoye, praised Nigerian farmers for their resilience and contributions to national food security.