With the official opening of the Startup Consultative Forum, an effort aimed at strengthening the nation’s tech startup environment and expediting the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA), Nigeria has taken a daring step towards expanding its innovation ecosystem.
Barrister Emmanuel Edet, the Ag. Director, Regulation and Compliance, spoke on behalf of NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, who characterised the forum as more than a stakeholder gathering. He stated that it represents a new stage in the Nigeria Startup Act’s implementation and a commitment to strengthening the tech industry via cooperation, inclusion, and data-driven government.
The Nigeria Startup Act, he pointed out, provides a framework for national development rather than just a piece of legislation. Startups don’t play on the periphery. They are essential to Nigeria’s economic prospects,” he declared. Inuwa added that during the last eight months, NITDA has spearheaded important Act-related initiatives.
These consist of direct and digital engagement awareness efforts, roadshows at tech events such as the Omniverse Summit, Moonlight Conference, Lagos Tech Week, and Akwa Ibom Tech Week, and stakeholder workshops in ten states.
The forum, according to Inuwa, will serve as a feedback engine, spotlighting regulatory gaps, guiding policy improvements, and shaping a startup-friendly environment.
Through programs like the Startup Portal, the nationwide deployment of tech infrastructure, and training in digital skills, NITDA continues to assist companies under the Renewed Hope Agenda and the direction of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
The DG emphasised that for startups to thrive, policies must be inclusive and responsive. “Inclusion is not charity. It is a strategy,” he said, calling for equal representation across gender, region, and sector.
The Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions, Oladejo Olawunmi, sparked the Conservative Forum with a call to action while introducing its members on behalf of the Director-General. He envisioned the forum as an essential hub for cooperative innovations.
He inspired the members, saying, “We remain deeply committed to nurturing a space where innovation can flourish, and I call upon each of us to embrace the task ahead by shaping ideas into concrete policy and outcomes that leave a lasting impact.”
Earlier, Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), in her opening address called the Forum, a “structured dialogue between those building the future and those enabling it.”
She outlined five key pillars for success: access to funding, capacity building, supportive policy, inclusive innovation, and global competitiveness.
She urged startups to speak boldly, private sector players to offer more than capital, development partners to scale what works, and government to harmonize efforts. “This Forum must be a problem-solving platform, not another talk shop,” she concluded.
With the Startup Consultative Forum now launched, NITDA aims to turn policy into action, ensuring startups are no longer on the sidelines, but at the center of Nigeria’s innovation journey.
The virtual event was attended by private sector players, development agencies, verified Ecosystem Support Organisations (ESOs), angel investors, venture capital firms, and labelled startups from across the country.
