The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated a Technical Working Committee (TWC) to begin implementation of Nigeria’s National Regulatory Sandbox, a framework designed to reduce regulatory delays and help startups test innovative products faster under government supervision.
The initiative is expected to address long-standing challenges caused by fragmented regulations and poor coordination among government agencies as Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand.
NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, inaugurated the committee on Thursday in Abuja through the agency’s Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, Emmanuel Edet.
Speaking during the inauguration, Mr Inuwa said regulators across different sectors often work independently because of separate legal mandates, creating difficulties for innovation-driven businesses trying to navigate approvals.
According to him, the National Regulatory Sandbox will provide a controlled environment where innovators, startups and technology companies can test new products and services while regulators monitor compliance and collaborate more effectively.
“The ecosystem is moving very fast, and regulation cannot keep pace. Existing frameworks are no longer adequate to address some of these challenges,” he said.
He explained that the initiative is not designed to reduce the powers of existing regulatory agencies but to create a coordinated system that supports innovation while maintaining proper oversight.
The NITDA boss added that the government recognises the importance of balancing regulation with policies that allow startups and technology developers to grow.
The National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Victoria Fabunmi, described the sandbox as a structured legal and governance framework that would allow innovators to test solutions before obtaining full regulatory approvals.
Mrs Fabunmi said the framework is sector-agnostic and will support innovation across artificial intelligence (AI), digital health, fintech, agriculture, mobility, logistics, blockchain and other emerging technology sectors.
According to her, one of the major goals of the initiative is to reduce delays caused by multiple regulatory approval processes across agencies.
She explained that innovators would be able to engage several regulators simultaneously through a single platform instead of approaching agencies separately, a move expected to shorten time-to-market for new digital products and services.
Mrs Fabunmi also noted that the framework would generate evidence-based insights to support adaptive and responsible regulation while advancing implementation of the Nigerian Startup Act.
She said the Technical Working Committee will oversee governance support, technical advisory services and inter-agency coordination during implementation.
The ONDI coordinator disclosed that the sandbox would be introduced in phases, beginning with a limited number of agencies before expanding to include more regulators and stakeholders across the innovation ecosystem.
According to her, the next phase will focus on operational finalisation of the framework, stakeholder engagement, pilot testing and gradual rollout within the next six months.
Representatives from several agencies and organisations attended the inauguration, including Nigeria Communications Satellites Limited (NigComSat), the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), the Startup Consultative Forum, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
