Africa Must Move From Digital Consumption to Innovation, NITDA DG Says

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has called on African countries to move beyond consuming digital technologies and focus on creating homegrown innovations capable of driving economic growth and global competitiveness.
Abdullahi made the call at TechCabal Moonshot 2026, held in Lagos under the theme, “Courage & Conviction — Building for a New World,” where he emphasised the need to transform Africa into a global powerhouse of innovation.
He said Africa had the talent needed to compete globally but must build stronger connections that would turn human potential into opportunities and innovative ideas into sustainable economic prosperity.
According to him, the continent must create an environment where ideas can develop into practical solutions, businesses and sustainable enterprises.
“From Hackathons to Contracts. From Prototypes to Products. From Ideas to Sustainable Enterprises,” he said.
The NITDA chief also highlighted the forthcoming Builders’ Festival at Digital Nigeria 2026, scheduled to hold from November 10 to 12 in Abuja, with a target of generating a N3 billion investment pipeline.
He said the initiative was designed to connect promising Nigerian startups with investors, industry challenges and market opportunities.
Abdullahi stressed that the success of an innovation ecosystem should not be measured by the number of startups it celebrates but by the sustainable businesses it helps establish.
“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.
He further noted that countries that invest in innovation, establish trusted ecosystems and empower their citizens would be better positioned to compete in the global digital economy.
According to him, Nigeria must move beyond participating in the global digital economy and take an active role in shaping its future through innovation and technology development.
He urged stakeholders to support the transition from digital consumption to creation, stressing that Africa’s technological future would depend on its ability to develop solutions, build businesses and compete internationally.