Nigerian software developers generated over $1m in sales in 2025 from locally developed applications, the entity[“organization”,”National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion”,”nigeria technology agency”] has said.

The Director-General of NOTAP, entity[“people”,”Obiageli Amadiobi”,”nigerian technology official”], disclosed this in an interview with the entity[“organization”,”News Agency of Nigeria”,”nigerian state news agency”] on Thursday in Abuja, describing the milestone as evidence of the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem.

Amadiobi said the achievement was driven by targeted interventions by NOTAP, including capacity building, intellectual property protection and access to market opportunities for local developers. She explained that many Nigerian innovators had previously failed to maximise the value of their ideas because they did not fully understand intellectual property rights.

She noted that without proper IP protection, locally developed software and digital content were often copied, repackaged and commercialised by others, depriving original creators of the benefits of their work.

“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.

“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.

“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.

Amadiobi said the challenge was worsened by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which she said affected the ICT sector more than most others.

“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like entity[“company”,”TikTok”,”social media platform”], unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.

“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.

She said NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy, which requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to partner with indigenous companies, had helped to address these issues by strengthening local capacity and encouraging technology transfer.

“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,” she said.

According to the NOTAP boss, some of the successful applications include a mobile health platform serving about 750,000 users across six states.

“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.

She said the $1m sales figure was recorded from more than 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between $5,000 and $80,000. She added that about 60 per cent of the revenue came from other African countries.

“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.

“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she stated.

Amadiobi said NOTAP plans to double the figure by 2027, with increased support for developers working in fintech, renewable energy management and climate adaptation technologies.

She said the agency would expand training programmes, improve patent awareness, and widen regional market access, while working with regulators to ensure fair competition and stronger enforcement against piracy nationwide this year