By Stella Odueme
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on Nigerian technology entrepreneurs to channel their creativity towards solving critical national challenges, describing innovation as a key driver of economic growth and improved service delivery.
The Director-General of the agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, made the call during the inauguration of the Builders Festival at the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE) in Abuja.
According to the Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, in a statement on Thursday, he said the festival was established to provide a platform for connecting startups with businesses, investors and institutions requiring technology-based solutions to operational and societal problems.
Abdullahi maintained that Nigeria's challenges in healthcare, agriculture and financial services offered enormous opportunities for technology-driven interventions that could improve productivity and the living conditions of citizens.
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He particularly urged health technology startups to develop solutions that would expand access to medical services, citing the gap between Nigerians' interest in telemedicine and actual utilisation.
He disclosed that NITDA's research indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerian adults wanted access to telemedicine, but only 19 per cent had used the service.
On agriculture, he identified unpredictable weather, inadequate soil information and limited market access as major challenges that could be addressed through digital platforms providing farmers with timely information and technical guidance.
He also called for innovations that would help small and medium-sized enterprises maintain proper financial records and demonstrate their creditworthiness to financial institutions.
According to him, more than 40 per cent of Nigeria's population are farmers, while many small businesses continue to struggle to secure bank loans despite their contributions to the economy.
The NITDA chief urged entrepreneurs to focus on the practical impact of their products, stressing that technological advancement would only be meaningful when it translated into improved productivity, reduced costs, increased incomes and wealth creation.
"The goal is not to be in love with your technology, but to be in love with the problem you are solving. It's about how your solutions can help millions of Nigerians improve their productivity and national prosperity," he said.
He further encouraged startups to develop products capable of competing beyond the domestic market and contributing to Nigeria's economic prosperity.
Abdullahi revealed that the festival attracted more than 1,388 applications from startups, out of which approximately 30 were selected to participate.
He congratulated the successful innovators and urged them to measure their achievements by the number of individuals and businesses benefiting from their solutions.
The Builders Festival, organised through a strategic partnership between NITDA and Tech Revolution Africa, is designed to strengthen collaboration among innovators, investors, corporate organisations and institutions.
The initiative seeks to accelerate the commercialisation of local innovations, improve access to investment and encourage the development of technology solutions that address Nigeria's economic and social needs.