The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, says Nigeria’s collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is propelling the nation’s technology innovation and startup ecosystem to new heights.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Survey on the Digitisation of Supply Chains in Small-Scale Nigerian Farms, organised by AGROVESTO, a JICA-funded Agritech startup and beneficiary of NITDA’s iHatch Incubation Programme Cohort 2, the NITDA boss who was represented by Dr Amina Sambo-Magaji, Deputy Director, e-Government and Digital Economy Development Department, described the partnership as a cornerstone for Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.
He noted that Nigeria now boasts as one of Africa’s most vibrant startup ecosystems, with young entrepreneurs using technology to solve local challenges with global implications.
“Nigeria is home to over 200 fintech startups revolutionising financial services, fostering inclusion, and empowering millions”, said Inuwa.
Highlighting the role of iHatch, a joint incubation and acceleration programme by NITDA and JICA, Inuwa explained that it provides training, mentorship, seed funding, and ecosystem support to budding startups across different sectors.
He further emphasised that the recently enacted Nigeria Startup Act has created incentives to lower barriers for innovators.
Also speaking, Chief Representative of JICA in Nigeria, Mr. Ishigame Kenji commended AGROVESTO for their dedication, creativity and pro-activeness in implementing the project, urging them to expand the initiative to reach more farmers across Nigeria.