The Federal Government has called for increased investment in technology hubs, innovation spaces and ecosystem builders across the country, describing them as critical to developing talent, supporting entrepreneurs and accelerating Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made the call yesterday in Abuja at the National Innovation Hub Standards Framework Validation Workshop.
Tijani said Nigeria could not achieve a diversified and prosperous economy without strengthening the support systems required to nurture innovation and transform ideas into viable businesses.
According to him, while successful technology startups often receive public attention, the innovation hubs and grassroots communities that help produce such successes are frequently overlooked.
He identified hub managers and physical co-working spaces as important anchor points where young talents, creators and entrepreneurs could collaborate, build networks and transform ideas into sustainable enterprises.
The minister, who recalled his previous experience managing a technology hub, said Nigeria’s expanding technology ecosystem had been partly enabled by the emergence of spaces that provide entrepreneurs with access to knowledge, mentorship, networks and other forms of support.
He said the growing number of successful Nigerian technology companies demonstrated the enormous potential of the country’s innovation ecosystem, but cautioned that the potential could not be fully realised without stronger support for ecosystem builders.
Tijani stressed that government’s investment in digital infrastructure must be matched by investment in the people and institutions capable of converting infrastructure into economic opportunities.
He cited ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to expand digital infrastructure through investments in fibre-optic connectivity, telecommunications infrastructure and satellite technology aimed at extending digital access to underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
The minister added that the government was also strengthening other components of the digital ecosystem, including digital identity and cloud infrastructure, through new policies and strategic interventions.
He, however, maintained that infrastructure alone would not deliver the desired economic transformation if innovation hubs across the country lacked the resources and capacity to attract and retain skilled personnel.
“Imagine if we had all the hubs in Nigeria at the same level of quality as the best hubs in the country. There would be more technology businesses, more innovation and better opportunities across the country,” he said.
Tijani also called for greater documentation and transfer of knowledge from successful innovation ecosystems around the world to Nigerian hub managers, saying lessons from global best practices could strengthen local innovation communities.
He noted that the impact of successful technology hubs extended beyond individual entrepreneurs, as startups supported by such ecosystems could create jobs, establish new businesses, generate tax revenue and contribute to national economic growth.
The minister said Nigeria could not achieve sustainable economic development by relying predominantly on oil and gas, stressing the need for a diversified economy driven by technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
He cited Nigerian technology companies, including Paystack, as examples of what could emerge when the right combination of talent, support structures and an enabling innovation ecosystem was available.
Against this backdrop, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is developing common standards for innovation hubs across the country as part of efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and broaden opportunities for young Nigerians to develop and scale technology-driven businesses within their communities.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said the proposed National Innovation Hub Standards Framework was intended to provide hubs with a structured pathway for assessing their capabilities, identifying gaps and progressing towards maturity rather than imposing rigid requirements on operators.
Inuwa said innovation hubs had become critical platforms for bringing together innovators, students, entrepreneurs, investors, businesses, academia and government to exchange ideas, develop solutions and transform concepts into commercially viable enterprises.
“Innovation does not happen in isolation; it happens in an ecosystem. And that ecosystem does not happen by accident; it happens by design,” he said.
The NITDA boss noted that Nigeria had an abundance of talented and entrepreneurial young people, but many still lacked access to funding, networks, mentorship, infrastructure and other forms of support required to translate ideas into sustainable businesses.
He identified talent, risk capital, large corporate organisations and government as key pillars of a functional innovation ecosystem, stressing the need for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to build a sustainable digital economy.
Inuwa expressed concern that innovation activities remained concentrated largely in Lagos, Abuja and a few other states despite the spread of talent and innovative potential across the country.
He said the proposed framework would help develop innovation ecosystems around the unique strengths, challenges and economic opportunities of individual communities instead of attempting to impose a single model nationwide.
According to him, NITDA’s research had identified more than 339 innovation hubs across Nigeria, although a significant proportion were concentrated in Lagos, Abuja and about 10 other states.
He explained that some hubs outside the country’s major innovation centres were still operating mainly as training centres and required additional support to transition into full-fledged innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship centres.
The DG said the framework contained seven key dimensions and about 35 assessment categories through which hubs could evaluate their capabilities, identify gaps and determine their level of development.
He stressed that the framework was not intended to be prescriptive but would serve as a guide for hubs seeking to improve their operations, services and institutional capacity.
Inuwa said the ultimate objective was to create an environment where young Nigerians could brainstorm, develop and test ideas, access relevant facilities, connect with businesses and investors, understand government policies and obtain the support required to build sustainable enterprises.
He also emphasised the importance of private-sector participation in providing risk capital, noting that government alone could not sustainably finance the growth of startups and emerging businesses.
The NITDA DG called for stronger collaboration between universities and industry, saying higher institutions must become active participants in the innovation ecosystem by strengthening research, entrepreneurship, digital skills and industry partnerships.
He disclosed that NITDA was already working with the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate digital skills into formal education, with the aim of producing graduates equipped to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Inuwa described the standards framework as a draft and urged hub founders, investors, development partners, government institutions, academia and other stakeholders to contribute their expertise towards its refinement.
He said a robust national network of innovation hubs would enable communities to harness local talent, develop solutions to local challenges and contribute to national economic growth.
The initiative, he added, would also reduce the pressure on innovators to relocate to major cities before gaining access to the ecosystem and support required to develop and scale their ideas.
