DNICE 2026: NITDA DG Inaugurates Builders Festival, Urges Startups to Tackle Nigeria’s Biggest Challenges
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has challenged Nigerian startups to develop innovative technology solutions that address the country’s pressing challenges, rather than focus solely on creating impressive products.
Abdullahi gave the charge while inaugurating the Builders Festival, a platform designed to connect Nigerian technology startups with investors, corporate organisations, potential customers and institutions seeking technology-driven solutions to business and societal problems.
The inauguration took place on the sidelines of the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE).
The NITDA chief said Nigeria’s numerous challenges should be viewed as opportunities for innovation, urging technology entrepreneurs to identify unmet needs and develop practical solutions capable of improving the lives of millions of citizens.
He identified healthcare, agriculture and access to finance for small businesses as critical sectors where technology entrepreneurs could make significant contributions.
According to him, everyday healthcare challenges present opportunities for health technology startups to develop solutions that expand access to medical services, particularly through digital health and telemedicine.
He disclosed that NITDA’s research indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerian adults wanted access to telemedicine services, but only 19 per cent had ever used them, highlighting a significant gap that innovators could address.
On agriculture, Abdullahi noted that farmers continue to grapple with unpredictable weather conditions, inadequate soil information and limited access to markets.
He explained that digital platforms providing timely weather forecasts, soil information, planting guidance, fertiliser recommendations and market linkages could significantly improve agricultural productivity and household incomes.
The Director-General also drew attention to the financial challenges confronting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which constitute the overwhelming majority of businesses in Nigeria.
He challenged startups to develop digital solutions that would help businesses maintain accurate financial records, demonstrate their performance and establish the transparency required by financial institutions to extend credit.
Abdullahi emphasised that the success of technology should not be measured merely by its availability but by its adoption and impact on productivity.
He argued that owning a mobile phone or having access to digital services would make little difference unless people could use technology to save time, reduce costs, improve businesses and increase their incomes.
“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 urged founders to develop commercially viable innovations capable of delivering substantial productivity gains, creating wealth and contributing to national development, while ensuring their products could compete in international markets.
The NITDA boss disclosed that more than 1,388 startups applied to participate in the Builders Festival, but only about 30 were selected.
He congratulated the successful participants, urging them to focus on the real-world impact of their innovations and measure success by the number of lives and businesses their solutions could transform.
He said Nigeria needed more platforms that bring problem owners and technology builders together, supported by an enabling institutional environment that accelerates technology adoption, attracts investments and expands opportunities within the digital economy.
The Builders Festival is an initiative developed through a strategic partnership between NITDA and Tech Revolution Africa to create stronger connections between Nigerian innovators, investors, corporate organisations and institutions with technology-related challenges.
The partnership seeks to move startups beyond developing technology for its own sake towards building practical, market-driven solutions that respond to the country’s economic and societal needs.
Through the festival, both organisations aim to promote collaboration, attract investment, encourage the adoption of homegrown innovations and strengthen the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
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