Something exciting just happened in Nigeria’s tech space. The Startup Consultative Forum (SCF) has wrapped up its first-ever election, and it’s a big win for the country’s innovation community.
Four startup founders from across Nigeria have been elected to represent their regions on the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NCDIE), the top body created under the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth in the digital economy.
The newly elected representatives are:
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji – South West
Charles Uchenna Emembolu – South East
Abba Ibrahim Gamawa – North East
Victoria Ojoagefu Manya – North Central
These four bring with them the voices, ideas, and experiences of Nigeria’s startup founders, digital creators, and innovators, the people actually building solutions every day.
Their role is to make sure that real entrepreneurs have a say in the policies shaping the country’s innovation future.
The election was coordinated by the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and everything was done in full line with the Nigeria Startup Act.
Earlier this year, the Startup Consultative Forum was officially inaugurated, after which members from all six geopolitical zones nominated and voted for their preferred candidates.
The process was open, transparent, and democratic — showing just how serious NITDA and ONDI are about collaboration between government, innovators, and industry players.
Now, with these new representatives in place, the NCDIE can do what it was built for: turn the Nigeria Startup Act from policy into progress.
The Council’s job is to guide national innovation, design policies that help startups grow, and make sure Nigeria’s digital economy stays competitive globally.
For the first time ever, startup founders are sitting side by side with government officials, investors, regulators, and academics to decide what’s next for Nigeria’s tech ecosystem. That’s a big deal.
This election is not just about who won it’s about what it means. It shows that Nigeria is serious about building an inclusive innovation system where every voice counts, from the smallest startup in Jos to the biggest tech hub in Lagos.
As the Council begins its work, everyone’s eyes will be on how these new representatives help shape the country’s innovation story, one that leads to more opportunities, stronger collaboration, and real impact across communities.
Through ONDI, NITDA says it remains fully committed to building a thriving digital economy and making innovation one of the cornerstones of Nigeria’s growth.
