Nigeria’s participation at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) has opened new opportunities for technology growth and investment.
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, met with senior officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Tokyo to discuss major collaborations aimed at boosting Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
At the center of the talks was the $11.2 million Startup Hub in Abuja, which is expected to serve as a center of excellence for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Discussions also focused on JICA’s $20 million early-stage technology startup fund. According to officials, this fund will be matched with an additional $20 million by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in line with the Nigeria Startup Act. The combined $40 million funding is projected to help startups scale, create jobs, and contribute to economic transformation.
Speaking during the engagement, Abdullahi commended JICA for its consistent support. He said, “Nigeria is determined to strengthen partnerships that create opportunities for young people and drive sustainable innovation.”
In another session, the NITDA Director General met with Satoshi Shimoda, Senior Writer at Nikkei, where discussions highlighted Nigeria’s vibrant startup landscape, recent policy reforms such as the Nigeria Startup Act, and the strong potential of youth-driven innovation in the country.
Abdullahi also visited the Tokyo Innovation Base to explore knowledge transfer and collaboration opportunities between Nigerian and Japanese startups, signaling stronger ties in digital economy and technology development.