From L-R Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, DG, NITDA; Wife of Oyo State Governor Engr (Mrs) Tamunominini Makinde; Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde; Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady Federal Republic of Nigeria; Dr Bosun Tijani, HM, Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; former Minister of Trade, Chief (Mrs) Onikepo Akande and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially launched the Startup Consultative Forum, a structured platform aimed at fast-tracking the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) and deepening engagement within the tech ecosystem.
The launch, held virtually, brought together key players from across the startup value chain — including labelled startups, angel investors, venture capitalists, development partners, and ecosystem support organizations — to deliberate on how best to transform policies into tangible progress for Nigerian innovators.
Representing the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, at the event, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, Acting Director of Regulation and Compliance, described the forum as a crucial tool for collaborative governance and a major milestone in building an inclusive innovation ecosystem. “This is more than a stakeholder gathering — it’s a mechanism for responsive policymaking based on real-time feedback,” he said.
According to Edet, the Nigeria Startup Act is not just legislation but a development framework designed to place startups at the center of Nigeria’s economic transformation. Over the past eight months, NITDA has engaged in activities aligned with this vision, including workshops across ten states, presence at major tech events like Lagos Tech Week and the Omniverse Summit, and awareness campaigns aimed at onboarding more stakeholders into the startup ecosystem.
Oladejo Olawunmi, Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions at NITDA, formally inaugurated members of the Forum on behalf of the DG and delivered a motivating call to action. “This Forum is not for rhetoric. It is a space for innovation to be transformed into policy and impact,” he said.
Also speaking at the launch was Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), who described the initiative as a dialogue between creators and enablers. She outlined five foundational pillars for success: access to funding, capacity building, supportive regulation, inclusive innovation, and global competitiveness. Fabunmi urged all stakeholders — from founders to financiers — to ensure the forum remains a solution-oriented space and not “another talk shop.”
The Startup Consultative Forum is expected to act as a feedback loop to identify policy gaps, refine regulations, and build a more enabling environment for tech entrepreneurship under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government and the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
With this launch, NITDA has reaffirmed its commitment to putting startups at the heart of Nigeria’s innovation strategy and ensuring the Nigeria Startup Act delivers meaningful, measurable outcomes.
