Nigeria’s push to attract stronger startup investment is increasingly centring on a less visible but critical factor: the strength of its digital infrastructure.
At the seventh edition of the Africa Fintech Foundry Ecosystem Roundtable, industry stakeholders were told that the future of startup funding in Africa will depend not only on innovative ideas but also on the digital systems that enable businesses to scale efficiently.
Speaking during the virtual session themed “The Capital Reset: What Technologies Are Still Fundable in Africa?”, Muhammad Aminu, Special Assistant on Digital Transformation to the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said investors are placing greater emphasis on the operating environments surrounding startups.
Representing NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, Aminu noted that access to dependable digital infrastructure and a stable policy environment has become a major determinant in investment decisions.
He explained that digital infrastructure extends far beyond internet connectivity, encompassing cloud computing platforms, digital identity systems, payment rails, data exchange frameworks, interoperability standards, cybersecurity architecture, and emerging artificial intelligence capabilities.
According to him, these foundational systems remove significant operational burdens for startups, allowing founders to focus on product development, customer acquisition, and business expansion rather than building core infrastructure from scratch.
Aminu said this ecosystem readiness directly impacts investor confidence by reducing uncertainty, lowering operational risks, and making it easier for startups to scale across markets at lower cost.
To strengthen this foundation, he highlighted several government-backed initiatives currently underway, including sovereign cloud projects, cloud adoption policies, data interoperability frameworks, cybersecurity reforms, enhanced data governance measures, and implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act.
He also stressed that policy consistency remains essential for sustaining investor interest in Nigeria’s technology sector, noting that predictable regulations provide the confidence investors need for long-term commitments.
Beyond infrastructure and regulation, Aminu pointed to talent development as another key pillar of digital growth. He cited NITDA’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme as a strategic effort to build the skilled workforce required to support innovation and technology-driven enterprise.
He maintained that building a resilient digital ecosystem is central to lowering the cost of innovation and positioning Nigeria’s startup landscape for sustained growth.
As competition for venture capital intensifies across Africa, the message from NITDA was clear: countries that invest in digital foundations will be best placed to capture the continent’s next wave of startup funding.
