By BONIFACE AKARAH

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has selected about 30 startups from more than 1,388 applicants for the Builders Festival, challenging the successful founders to focus on solving Nigeria’s pressing problems rather than simply building impressive technology.

The NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, gave the challenge while inaugurating the Builders Festival on the sidelines of the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE).

Abdullahi said Nigeria’s numerous challenges should be treated as unmet needs and opportunities for innovation, urging startups to develop solutions that can improve productivity, reduce costs and create wealth for millions of Nigerians.

“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.

The NITDA DG said the country needed technology entrepreneurs who could translate innovation into practical solutions for everyday problems, particularly in healthcare, agriculture and access to finance.

He said NITDA’s research showed that about 80 per cent of Nigerian adults wanted access to telemedicine, but only 19 per cent had used the service, describing the gap as an opportunity for health technology entrepreneurs.

Abdullahi also pointed to agriculture, where he said farmers continued to face challenges involving unpredictable weather, poor soil information and limited access to markets.

He urged startups to develop digital tools capable of providing farmers with timely weather forecasts, soil information, guidance on planting and fertiliser application, as well as direct connections to markets.

The NITDA boss said small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also represented a major opportunity for technology-driven solutions because many businesses continued to struggle with access to bank credit.

He challenged startups to create digital systems that could help SMEs maintain proper financial records, demonstrate business performance and provide the transparency required by financial institutions when assessing credit applications.

According to him, technology adoption should ultimately be measured by its effect on people’s lives and businesses, rather than by the number of people who simply have access to digital devices or services.

“Having a mobile phone or access to digital services means little if people cannot use them to save time, reduce costs, improve their businesses and increase their incomes,” he said.

Abdullahi urged the selected founders to build products capable of delivering measurable productivity gains and creating wealth, while also developing solutions with the potential to compete in international markets.

He said the Builders Festival was designed to bridge the gap between people who understand specific problems and those with the technical capacity to solve them.

The platform brings together problem owners, technology builders, corporate organisations, potential customers and investors in an effort to turn innovative ideas into viable businesses.

The NITDA DG congratulated the selected participants, urging them to measure their success by the number of lives and businesses their innovations could improve rather than by technology development alone.

The Builders Festival is being organised through a strategic partnership between NITDA and Tech Revolution Africa to connect Nigerian innovators with investors, corporate organisations and institutions seeking technology-driven solutions.

The organisers said the initiative would also promote the adoption of homegrown technologies, attract investment and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy by creating stronger links between startups and real-world market needs.

•NITDA DG Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi speaking while inaugurating the Builders Festival on the sidelines of the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE)