By BONIFACE AKARAH

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the SATH Foundation are collaborating to develop the Nigeria Tech Outlook, an initiative aimed at guiding investment, strengthening policymaking and accelerating technology adoption across key sectors of the economy.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, highlighted the initiative at the Tech Outlook event in Lagos, saying Nigeria must translate its technology talent, innovative ideas and entrepreneurial achievements into a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.

Inuwa noted that the successes recorded by individual innovators and technology companies were not enough to guarantee global competitiveness, stressing the need for reliable digital infrastructure, supportive policies, strategic investment and collaboration among government, industry leaders, investors and innovators.

According to him, the Nigeria Tech Outlook will provide evidence-based insights into the country’s technology landscape, including levels of technology access and adoption and their contributions to productivity across the economy.

The first edition of the report will examine five sectors: financial services, telecommunications, commerce and trade, government services, and healthcare.

Highlighting the value of research in identifying market opportunities, Inuwa disclosed that more than 80 per cent of over 2,000 Nigerians surveyed expressed willingness to use telemedicine services, while fewer than 20 per cent had ever used them.

He said the findings could help investors identify underserved markets, encourage innovators to develop relevant solutions and guide policymakers in addressing barriers to technology adoption.

The report will also examine emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, alongside digital trust and governance, cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud computing and digital infrastructure.

Inuwa stressed that technology policies and regulations should be based on research and industry realities rather than assumptions. He called on industry leaders to contribute their expertise to reviewing the findings and identifying practical interventions to support investment, innovation and economic growth.

The initiative is expected to give government agencies insights for evidence-based policymaking, help businesses identify technology adoption gaps, provide investors with information to guide investment decisions and enable innovators to develop solutions to national challenges.

The first edition of the Nigeria Tech Outlook is scheduled to be launched at the Digital Nigeria International Conference.

Also speaking, the Founder and Chairman of the SATH Foundation, Collins Onuegbu, said technology had become central to Nigeria’s economic and social development, transforming how people work, trade, communicate, learn and access public services.

He added that digital innovation was reshaping business operations, government engagement, security, productivity and national competitiveness.

Onuegbu said conducting the assessment annually would create institutional memory, allowing stakeholders to track progress, evaluate priorities and build a stronger evidence base for decisions about Nigeria’s digital future.

He also emphasised the need for the gathering to go beyond speeches and encourage meaningful engagement and practical outcomes that would support technology development, economic growth and national competitiveness.

Through the collaboration, NITDA and the SATH Foundation seek to strengthen Nigeria’s technology intelligence, unlock investment opportunities and support the development of a globally competitive innovation ecosystem driven by research, collaboration and homegrown solutions.