By Abbas Badmus,

2024 marked a transformative year for Nigeria’s tech industry, with groundbreaking innovations revolutionizing multiple sectors. From AI-driven solutions enhancing agriculture and healthcare to remarkable progress in space technology and financial services, these advancements are solidifying Nigeria’s position as Africa’s digital powerhouse.

TechDigest provides a comprehensive breakdown of these tech breakthroughs and their far-reaching impacts:

AI Transformation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming the backbone of various industries in Nigeria, addressing local challenges with scalable solutions. Notable advancements include:

Agriculture: AI-powered tools analyze weather patterns and soil conditions, enabling farmers to make data-driven decisions that boost productivity and reduce crop failure. Startups like Crop2Cash and Hello Tractor are deploying AI to optimize farming processes, ensuring food security.

Healthcare: AI algorithms are being used to detect diseases early. Health-tech startups are developing platforms that analyze X-rays and medical records, offering real-time diagnoses. This innovation addresses the shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas.

Finance: Nigerian banks and FinTech companies are leveraging AI to detect fraudulent transactions and provide personalized banking experiences via chatbots and AI advisors.

Nigeria’s rapid AI adoption is not only creating efficiencies but also fostering job creation in the tech sector and attracting investments from global tech giants.

EdTech Bridging Educational Gaps

EdTech has revolutionized access to education in Nigeria, leading to substantial growth in 2024. This sector is driven by the need to close the educational divide and provide learning tools to underserved communities.

Startups like Ulesson and Edves are offering digital classrooms accessible via mobile phones and tablets. Students can learn at their own pace with AI-powered tutors that personalize lessons.

Public and private schools have integrated digital curricula that blend traditional teaching with virtual learning environments.

Platforms are providing coding, data science, and digital marketing courses to equip young Nigerians with in-demand skills for the tech industry.

EdTech is not only bridging literacy gaps but also preparing Nigeria’s youth for lucrative tech careers.

FinTech Scaling New Heights

Nigeria’s FinTech sector continues to lead in Africa, marked by significant milestones like Moniepoint’s $110 million investment milestone. This funding, led by Google’s Africa Investment Fund, underscores global confidence in Nigeria’s FinTech ecosystem.

Moniepoint achieved “unicorn” status with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. The company plans to use the funds to enhance digital payments and banking solutions across Africa, targeting populations with limited access to traditional financial services.

Other players, such as Flutterwave and Paystack, are expanding their operations internationally, cementing Nigeria’s status as a FinTech hub.

These innovations are extending financial services to unbanked populations, driving economic growth in rural areas, and inspiring the next wave of startups.

Nigeria’s Leap into Space Technology

In 2024, Nigerian engineering students at Pan-Atlantic University unveiled Trailblazer, the country’s first Mars rover prototype. The project secured second place at the African Rover Challenge, showcasing Nigeria’s budding talent in space and robotics technology.

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is advancing satellite development and space exploration, with plans to launch additional satellites for communication and environmental monitoring.

The success of Trailblazer is encouraging more students to pursue careers in robotics, engineering, and space science.

Nigeria’s foray into space technology marks a shift toward higher-value technological fields, potentially paving the way for future aerospace programs.

Regulatory Technology (RegTech)

RegTech is growing at an annual rate of 30%, transforming how Nigerian businesses manage compliance, governance, and risk.

RegTech solutions automate legal processes, reduce manual errors, and expedite regulatory approvals.

These innovations are essential in combating money laundering and fraud in Nigeria’s expanding digital finance sector.

By aligning with international regulatory standards, RegTech is boosting investor confidence and ensuring smooth operations in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Government-Backed Digital Initiatives

The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, launched by the Nigerian government under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), aims to train 3 million youths in tech disciplines.

Participants are gaining expertise in software development, AI, data science, and block chain technologies.

Tech companies are collaborating with the government to absorb graduates into the workforce, driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.

This initiative is preparing Nigeria for the fourth industrial revolution by developing the next generation of tech leaders.

HealthTech and Vaccine Rollout

Nigeria launched the Oxford R21 malaria vaccine in 2024, a critical step in reducing malaria mortality rates. The vaccine is being distributed for free in high-risk states such as Kebbi and Bayelsa.

Mobile health platforms are tracking vaccination progress to ensure equitable distribution.

HealthTech startups are improving access to care in remote regions through online consultations and digital health monitoring, making healthcare more efficient and accessible.

Energy Tech and LNG Innovations

Nigeria’s First Floating LNG Plant: UTM Offshore Limited received approval for the country’s first floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in 2024.

The plant aims to reduce gas flaring and improve energy distribution.

It is expected to generate revenue from LNG exports and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on oil.

This project aligns with Nigeria’s green energy transition and its ambition to become an energy leader in Africa.

Last Line

In conclusion, Nigeria’s tech breakthroughs in 2024 represent a broader digital revolution. These advancements across AI, FinTech, EdTech, and space exploration are reshaping the nation’s economic landscape and preparing it for global competitiveness. With sustained investment and collaboration between the government and private sector, Nigeria is well-positioned to lead Africa into the future of technology.

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TECHDIGEST – The United States Consulate in Lagos and Ingressive for Good, an edtech, have announced a collaboration to premiere a tech documentary.

According to the partners, the documentary film titled, ‘Finding tech: Against all odds,’ would have its premiere screening in April in Lagos.

They noted that the documentary would highlight the personal journeys of Nigerian youths who have faced and surmounted hurdles in their lives because of lack of access to resources, opportunities, and finance.

READ ALSO: Fintech Unveils community loan scheme for SMEs 

In a statement, the Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate General in Lagos, Joseph Kruzich, said, “We are excited to showcase the power of technology and its role in creating a better future for all.

“We are really inspired by the work Ingressive for Good is doing in the country and the continent at large. Watching this film was inspiring, and we hope it will inspire the next generation of tech innovators and problem solvers.”

The film’s producer and Co-founder of Ingressive for Good, Blessing Abeng, added, “We are thrilled to partner with the US Consulate to bring this important film to the public

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TECHDIGEST – A data and strategy firm, 10Alytics, has granted scholarships to over 300 tech women across the globe in commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day.

The firm, in its call for applications in March, revealed that successful candidates would receive partial funding (up to 50%) to study any of its courses, which include Data Analytics, Business Analysis, Data Engineering, Full Stack Data Science, Financial Analytics, Power Platform Engineering, and HR Analytics.

The EdTech firm in a statement released said the initiative was to encourage more women into the tech and data space.

The statement read in part, “Our programs are beginner-friendly, dedicated to taking individuals from zero to professional, and include no-code, low code, and code-related programs.

“The discounted fee would also provide access to our value-added services, which are tailored towards producing well-rounded data and tech professionals. 

These services include CV review, LinkedIn optimization, Freelancer (Upwork) optimization, weekly Mentorship, navigating the job market (United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and Africa), recommendation letters, as well as interview preparation sessions.”

The statement added that recipients of the scholarships came from all over the world with the top ten countries consisting of the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Nigeria, Ghana, Germany, Namibia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, and Poland.

Speaking on the initiative, a Co-founder of 10Alytics, Adeiza Suleman, said a masterclass was held in commemoration of International Women’s Day.

READ ALSO: 

According to him, over 850 applications were received, out of which about 320 were selected as beneficiaries of the scholarship program.

He said, “The call for applications was launched on March 8, and closed on March 31.

With less than 25% of tech roles occupied by women and considering the impact diverse perspectives can have on innovation, it is pertinent to have more women in tech. For us at 10Alytics, we believe this scholarship will contribute to increasing that number.”

One of the beneficiaries, Adejumoke Akinnuwesi, expressed her excitement on making the final selection. She thanked the organisers for the opportunity, saying, “Thank you, 10Alytics, for giving me this platform.”

Similarly, some other beneficiaries, Robertah Adwowa, Oyeshomo Yetunde, Ejiro Orivri and Oyebade Vivian, took to the company’s official Instagram page to express their gratitude.

Netizens lauded the EdTech firm for the great initiative, while urging them to host a similar initiative for men.

Co-founder, 10Alytics, Efemena Ikpro, reiterated the company’s dedication to increasing the number of women and Africans, generally, in the global data and tech space.

He revealed that the company would be hosting the fourth edition of its Data Hackathon in the second quarter of the year, adding that further details would be shared in due course.

“We organise regular hackathons to not only build the data and tech community but also foster a healthy competition amongst our community,” Efemena added.

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TECHDIGEST – Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), the largest innovation hub in Africa, has launched a $15 million accelerator program called ‘The Edtech Fellowship Program’ to develop and fund 72 entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Kenya over the next three years.

This is contained in a statement seen by Ripples Nigeria on Friday.

According to the statement, the accelerator program will boost the effect of edtech businesses across Africa.

It will also support entrepreneurs who are presenting tech solutions to solve learning innovation in a sector of education rife with several problems.

Commenting on the need for the funding, Bosun Tijani, the co-founder, and CEO of CcHUB said: “It is important that when we build a program that not only finds the smartest people in the startup ecosystem but also connects the startup ecosystem with government authorities, public sectors, schools, and academic institutions so that we can ensure that there’s a clear understanding of how to scale education solutions in the space.”

READ ALSO: Adoption Of Emerging Technologiess Will Scale Nigeria’s Socio-economic Development – NITDA Boss

The fellowship program aims to support entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Kenya, two of the largest edtech marketplaces on the continent.

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TECHDIGEST – Nigeria has achieved unprecedented milestone when it comes to start-ups and the development of innovative products to address challenges in the African continent. Ranging from Fintech, to edtech and to proptech, young innovators in the country are breaking new grounds.

It is, therefore not shocking that Nigerian start-ups are attracting more foreign investors’ interests than their counterparts in other African countries.

READ ALSO: Pantami Unveils Books on Datafication and Cybersecurity at Emerging Technologies Forum

Last year alone, Tech Digest reports that the start-ups attracted over $150 billion, which was 35 percent of the total investments that came into Africa in 2021.

This year, Nigerian startups have accumulated close to a billion dollars in the first quarter.

The Tech Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion, presents top five performing startups that made the news in Q1 2022:

Flutterwave ($250 million)

Recognised as one of the most valuable startups in Nigeria, Flutterwave became Africa’s fourth unicorn last year after raising $170m in a Series C round. The company in February this year put the icing on its cake as it raised $250 million in its single-biggest funding round to date, valuing the startup at more than $3 billion, as it targets mergers and acquisitions, and a growing existing customer base.

The latest series D funding round was led by investors including Facebook Inc co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s venture capital firm B Capital Group and Boston-based hedge fund Whale Rock Capital Management. According to the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Olugbenga Agboola, “the funding gives Flutterwave the much-needed support to deliver on our plans to provide the best experience for our merchants and customers around the world.”

Moove ($105 million)

In March, Nigeria-based mobility fintech startup, Moove had raised $105 million in an oversubscribed Series A2 round to scale to seven new markets across Asia, MENA, and Europe over the next six months.

Founded in 2019 by British-born Nigerians Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi, Moove is democratising vehicle ownership in Africa by providing revenue-based vehicle financing to mobility entrepreneurs.

ThriveAgric ($56.4 million)

ThriveAgric, a technology-driven agricultural company, also secured $56.4 million in debt funding from commercial banks and institutional investors in March this year. Additionally, the company received a $1.75million co-investment grant from West Africa Trade & Investment, which is funded by USAID.

As a result of the new investment, the company will be able to expand its 200,000+ farmer base, as well as enter new markets in Africa, including Ghana, Zambia, and Kenya.

Reliance Health ($40 million)

In February this year, Reliance Health, an emerging markets-focused digital healthcare provider, completed a $40 million Series B funding round led by General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity investor, with participation from Partech, Picus Capital, Tencent Exploration, AAIC (Asia Africa Investment and Consulting), P1 Ventures, Laerdal Million Lives Fund, M3, Inc., and Arvanitis Social Foundation.

Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria and Austin, Texas, Reliance Health began operations in Nigeria in 2015 as a telemedicine-focused startup, Kangpe, founded by Femi Kuti, Opeyemi Olumekun, and Matthew Mayaki, and later expanded into a single-fee healthcare provider to better address the complex, evolving needs of patients.

Credpal ($15 million)

CredPal, one of the earliest pioneers of ‘buy now, pay later’ services in Nigeria, also closed a bridge round of $15 million in equity and debt in March this year to expand its consumer credit offerings across Africa.

According to a statement shared by the company, the investment will support its expansion into other African markets, mainly Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, and Cameroon.

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TECHDIGEST – In keeping to their promise to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, Microsoft Nigeria has launched the Agro-Tech Hackathon NG for Nigerian young entrepreneurs.

The initiative which is targeted at providing homegrown scalable platforms by Nigerian youths for Nigerian farmers and consumers to access farm produce will also help to improve digital value chain process and reduce agricultural wastes and losses.

Also reacting to the initiative, the Technical and Operations Lead of TedPrime Hub, Mr. Adeeko Olalekan, expressed his delight in the partnership drive around this project and lauded Microsoft’s digital investments towards providing Nigerian youths the platform to invent local solutions in the oldest sector in the planet—agriculture.

“This project is coming at the time the nation’s economic diversification is now a top priority for governments and all facets of governance and to a larger extent, provide economic opportunities for all stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector and we are pleased to be part of history of socio-economic transformation of Nigeria through Microsoft Agro-Tech Hackathon” said Olalekan.

The goal of the hackathon is to develop a repository of innovative and inclusive solutions to the myriad of challenges in the agricultural sector. These solutions in the long run will empower farmers economically and improve the profitability of their agri-business by facilitating easier and faster consumer access to farm produce and reduce wastage of perishable farm items.

The competition, which kicks off 28th March 2022, is open to Nigerians between the ages of 18 to 45. Applicants must be from any of the 6 geopolitical zones of the country and must have demonstrated interest/experience in technology, agriculture and/or entrepreneurship. Applicants shortlisted in the first phase of the application will be paired to form teams during the Hackathon stage. Each team will undergo a 4-week mentorship, where they will be mentored by world-class agro-specialists, entrepreneurs, and training teams from Microsoft.

READ ALSO : Microsoft, Tech4Dev, Train 18,000 Nigerians Youth On Digital Skills

At the end of the competition, three teams with the most outstanding solutions will be selected for funding and technical support by Microsoft and its partners. Consolation prizes will also be given to the top 20 finalists of the hackathon. Top winning teams would share a sum of 5 Million Naira with other consolation prizes and recognitions by Microsoft and partners for other finalists.

For more information, application, enquiry and sponsorship, applicant should visit www.agrotech.ng or send an e-mail to info@agrotech.ng

Noteworthy is the fact that TedPrime Hub, the execution partner for this project, is also a pitch site partner to the University of Delaware in the United States of America on the Diamond Entrepreneurship Challenge.

In 2019, the organization received an award as the Best Edtech Organization by Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. and was also named as one of the top 50 Innovative Organizations in Africa by the African Union.

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TECHDIGEST – The Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has reiterated the commitment of the agency in exploring more opportunities in developing the digital literacy and skills of Nigerians in order to drive the Nation’s economy and achieve a digital Nigeria.

The DG who said this in his office during a courtesy visit by the Sweden Ambassador to Nigeria, Grans Carl-Michael, noted that one of the plans of the agency is to strengthen the ecosystem of the Federal Capital Territory and the whole nation.

Kashifu appreciated the existing partnership the agency has had over the years with the Embassy of Sweden, especially with the SchoolTry platform, a Sweden-based EdTech company offering innovative solutions towards the digital transformation of the Nigerian education sector.

Also Read: Education Sector Requires More Digital Innovations To Develop – DG NITDA

He expressed the fact that “achieving digital economy is something that no one can succeed in isolation; particularly as the world is increasingly becoming global, which has necessitated the need for more collaborations such that whatever you do, you think global and act locally.”

He encouraged the Swedish team to go beyond the SchoolTry project and execute more IT-driven initiatives, assuring the team of a mutually beneficial partnership.

The Sweden Ambassador to Nigeria expressed appreciation to the NITDA boss for the collaborative efforts enjoyed so far, adding that he is looking forward to getting more investments from Nigeria in order to grow and expand the company.

He said, “When I learned about this company ( SchoolTry) founded by a Nigerian in Sweden and working with Education and E-Learning I know that it will be very interesting for Nigeria to engage in because education is a social responsibility for Nigeria and also for Sweden.”

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TECHDIGEST – The Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has restated the importance of innovations and creativity to transformation of Nigeria’s education system.

Kashifu said this while speaking at the maiden National Conference on Functional Education at Bilyaminu Polytechnic, Hadejia, Jigawa State, organized by the Center for Semi Arid Research and Development.

He noted that the lessons learnt during the COVID-19 lockdown should be taken to the next level to further the course of education by leveraging on the advancement in technology to address specific problems inhibiting the progress of the sector.

“It is important to seek to explore the benefits of innovations and creativity in order to bring about functional education system for the country.”

“Platforms like Edtech have become a global phenomenon that integrates strategies, instructional practices in education and digital tools to bring about the emerging trends that demonstrators in academia apply to build knowledge based society,” he said.

He added that other platforms that could be handy include Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, 5G technology, Blockchain, Virtual and mix realities, among others.

Rolling out statistics, the DG stated that Nigeria is ware-housing about 28 percent of education technology companies on the African Continent with technology startups generating about 3.46million Dollars in 2020.

This, he added, signifies that the country is not left behind in innovations and creativity in the education sector to support sustainable development in the country.

According to Kashifu, NITDA had already identified innovations and creativity as critical tools for implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy NDEPS, aimed at driving home the nation’s prosperity.

He said, one of such steps is the NITDA’s launching of National Adopted School for Smart Education initiative which seeks to inculcate the use of technology in teaching and learning to promote massive access to quality education especially at the grassroots.

He explained further that the Agency is now entrenching co-creation education approach by ensuring that the approach to teaching is shifted from traditional and uni-directional, to a style where both the teacher and students can create value together through digital technologies and innovations platforms that allow for sharing and engagement learning.

In his remarks, the Rector, Binyaminu Polytechnic Prof. Zulkiflu Abdu, described as apt, the theme of the conference; “Functional Education and Demand Research for Sustainable Development”, noting that, Nigeria’s multifaceted development challenges can be addressed by the adoption of research based technological innovations and creativity in the education sector.

He commended the DG NITDA for giving Nigeria the direction to navigate through the storm that was stirred by COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Zulkiflu expressed the hope that the conference will provide a pathway to realizing sustainable development by focusing on demand-driven research.

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TECH DIGEST – The global pandemic accelerated growth in the academic e-learning and education technology (EdTech) market. Analysts say that the Covid-19 crisis was only part of the driving force. As such, the uptrend has every reason to continue post-pandemic.

According to the research data analyzed and published by Definanzas.com, the worldwide e-learning market will grow at a CAGR of nearly 18% between 2021 and 2025. The sector’s incremental growth during the period will be an impressive $184.52 billion.

Investors and equipment makers are taking note of the massive potential in the EdTech and e-learning markets. Based on a study by HolonIQ, VCs around the globe poured in $16.1 billion into EdTech in 2020. And thanks to the demand from the education sector, Chromebook shipments hit 12.0 million in Q1 201, marking a stunning 274.6% uptick.

EdTech Venture Capital Hits Nearly $4 Billion in Q1 2021

North America is the dominant player in the worldwide e-learning market. In 2020, it accounted for a 37% share of the global market. Technavio estimates that the US market will grow at 15.95% in 2021. Between 2021 and 2025, it will grow at a CAGR of 17%, equivalent to $36.54 billion.

Additionally, the global EdTech market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.9% in the period between 2021 and 2028. According to Grand View Research, the sector was worth $89.49 billion in 2020 and by 2028, it is projected to reach $285.2 billion.

Asia Pacific will be the fastest growing region, registering a 22.6% CAGR up to 2028. North America, which dominated with a 37% share in 2020, will still retain dominance up to 2028.

Global EdTech venture capital hit nearly $4 billion in Q1 2021 alone, averaging over $300 million every week. According to HolonIQ, education technology unicorns will grow to more than 100 by 2025.

The full story, statistics and information can be found here: https://definanzas.com/worldwide-e-learning-market-to-grow-by-185-billion-between-2021-and-2025/

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By Inyene Ibanga

TECH DIGEST – New and evolving technologies are providing huge disruptions across every sector of human activity at a very rapid rate. Digital technologies have completely transformed the process and practice of education, which used to be the norm before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, education has gone beyond the traditional four walls of classrooms and physical contacts between teachers and students. EdTech is spearheading the shift from the conventional learning environment into the virtual sphere.
Education Technology (EdTech or EduTech) refers to an area of technology dedicated to the development and application of tools for promoting education. The tools, in this instance, include software, hardware, processes and resources.

It involves the practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating and deploying appropriate technological processes and resources. It is the combination of Information Technology (IT) tools and educational practices aimed at facilitating and enhancing both theoretical and practical learning at all levels.

What this means is that Edtech blends technological tools with traditional educational methods to enhance learning experiences within or outside the classrooms. These IT tools are rapidly transforming classrooms in a variety of fascinating ways for students and teachers alike.

For instance, EdTech robots help to keep students engaged by bringing fun into the learning process; the Internet of Things (IoT) devices have successfully created digital classrooms for students in schools and distant locations, and blockchain tools are assisting teachers with grading tests and holding students accountable for homework.

Indeed, technology is opening up more opportunities and channels for millions of Nigerians to access education from any location and at their convenience. EdTech offers an innovative system for building a highly competent crop of experts across all fields of human endeavour.

While it is basically about e-learning and mobile learning (m-learning), it also describes the practice of introducing IT tools into the classroom to create a more engaging, inclusive and individualised learning experience.
Although, still a developing field in Nigeria, EdTech has the potential to positively impact various segments of the country’s population.

For the students, EdTech offers a round-the-clock or 24/7 access to learning from any location wherever; tablets loaded with learning games and online lessons give children the tools to solve problems together, while also allowing teachers and students to enjoy increased collaboration through the effective exchange of communication.

Through video lectures and learning apps, students now watch lessons at home and at their own pace; they gain creativity and a sense of collaboration from this style of learning. This adds variety to the traditional method by allowing students to use class time to work on projects as a group, thereby further building collaboration among them.

EdTech opens up opportunities for educators to craft personalised or customised learning plans for each of their students, on the basis of their strengths, skills and interests. It enables students to actively participate and interact with other classrooms around the world through video.
Students are not the only beneficiaries of EdTech. For teachers, it is a means of developing efficient learning practices and saving time in the classroom.
Teachers are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to cut down the hours they spend on grading assignments by employing automated grading systems. This leaves extra time for teachers to devise creative ways of guiding their students according to each individual’s capacity.

EdTech makes it relatively easy for teachers to manage and work with their students because it addresses the challenge of getting a large group of students to pay attention to activities in class. It goes a long way in helping to reduce the chaotic atmosphere in the classrooms.

Most importantly, there abound tools that help the teacher to assess the skills or areas of improvement of their students. Digital tools, data platforms and apps are used to constantly evaluate the skills and needs of students, and these relay the information to the teacher in real-time.
In view of the significant importance of IT education in Nigeria’s evolving digital economy, educators and educational institutions have a vital role to play.
As it stands now, the sector requires a focused, driven and committed facilitator to create the enabling platform for robust and solutions-based collaboration among education stakeholders.

Frontline educational institutions/bodies include Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); National Board for Technical Education (NBTE); National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and National Universities Commission (NUC).

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) remains the best equipped organisation to facilitate result-oriented collaboration among educational institutions to achieve a knowledge-based society.
The agency’s commitment to the fulfillment of its core mandate of developing, regulating and coordinating the growth of IT in Nigeria is remarkably impacting the digital economy agenda.
This collaborative platform will put Nigeria in a vantage position to harness the abundant human and material resources for developing proficient human capital and manpower to drive the new knowledge-based economy.
However, it is imperative for the agency to foster strategic and sustained dialogue among the educator/educational institutions and technology professionals because the future of EdTech relies on the collective actions of the key actors.

NITDA should expand its Tech Innovation Challenge to encourage more startups to join the likes of uLesson; Pass.ng; Tuteria; Prepclass and others who are using EdTech to address needs in the education sector. These emerging technologies would help to expand the e-learning and m-learning space in the country.
There is need for the agency to establish collaborative platforms for all the key educational and innovation actors to leverage the increasing mobility of knowledge and innovation that will greatly empower EdTech companies to solve local e-learning issues.

Evidently, every investment in education creates ripple effects which add great value to all other sectors. Education holds the key to acquiring critical knowledge for new insights and innovative technologies to create practical solutions for enhanced progress in health, agriculture, commercial, banking and financial sectors.

NITDA has to create strategic partnership with all relevant stakeholders to explore the limitless growth opportunities that EdTech offers in order to develop more proficient human capital and globally competitive manpower to drive national development.

On the whole, the leadership of the Ministry of Education and that of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy must continue to show the determination and political will that practically supports growth and innovations in EDTech.

Inyene Ibanga is Managing Editor Techdigest.ng and writes from Wuye District, Abuja. Email: inyeneibanga@yahoo.com.

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