The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the SATH Foundation have introduced the Nigeria Tech Outlook, an initiative designed to attract investment, support informed policymaking and encourage technology adoption across major sectors of the economy.
The initiative was unveiled at a technology outlook event in Lagos, where NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said Nigeria needed to strengthen its technology ecosystem to turn local innovation and talent into global competitiveness.
He explained that the report would provide research-based insights into access to technology, its adoption and its impact on productivity. The first edition focuses on financial services, telecommunications, commerce and trade, government services, and healthcare.
Inuwa revealed that more than 80 per cent of over 2,000 Nigerians surveyed said they were willing to use telemedicine services, but fewer than 20 per cent had used them before.
He said the findings could help investors identify untapped opportunities, guide technology developers in creating solutions that meet people’s needs, and assist policymakers in addressing the challenges limiting technology adoption.
The report will also examine emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, alongside cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud computing, digital trust and governance.
Inuwa urged industry stakeholders to participate in reviewing the findings, stressing that technology policies and regulations should be guided by research and the realities of the industry rather than assumptions.
According to him, the outlook would help the government make better-informed policy decisions, enable businesses to understand gaps in technology adoption and provide investors with insights into emerging opportunities.
The Founder and Chairman of the SATH Foundation, Collins Onuegbu, said conducting the assessment annually would make it possible to track progress, review priorities and strengthen the evidence guiding decisions about Nigeria’s digital future.
