By Busola Bamidele
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has called on startups and entrepreneurs in Kano to rethink how economic success is built in the 21st century, urging a stronger focus on innovation, scalability and real-world impact.
Inuwa made the call while speaking at the Kano Startup Weekend, where he noted that Kano’s historical role as a commercial hub for Northern Nigeria and the Sahel was driven by trade, geography and human capital, but said today’s economy is increasingly powered by innovation.
He explained that innovation goes beyond invention, stressing the importance of taking ideas from conception to commercialisation, solving real problems and creating sustainable value.
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The NITDA boss emphasised that innovation cannot thrive in isolation, calling for a stronger ecosystem that connects academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and government. He observed that weak collaboration between research institutions and industry has limited growth and scale in Kano, despite the state’s large market and numerous higher institutions.
Inuwa highlighted NITDA’s interventions, including the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) programme and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) initiative, aimed at building globally competitive digital and technical skills. He said the programmes align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places innovation, digital skills and inclusive growth at the centre of national development.
NITDA shared highlights of the address on its official X handle, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to supporting startups and building innovation-driven enterprises.
Inuwa challenged startups to move beyond the traditional SME mindset and build businesses that can start locally but scale globally, adding that Kano has the potential to compete with leading innovation hubs in Nigeria and beyond.
