Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has urged Nigerian youth to take the lead in driving Africa’s digital transformation, emphasising that the nation’s young population holds the key to a prosperous and inclusive future.

Delivering his opening remarks at the three-day Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition 2025 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Inuwa extended heartfelt appreciation to the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his presence, describing it as a powerful demonstration that this administration cares deeply about our youth.

The conference provides a dynamic platform for ecosystem stakeholders to showcase their work and explore emerging trends aimed at transforming the nation and continent’s digital future.

Organised by NITDA, the Digital Nigeria Conference serves as a platform that bridges government and industry, fostering collaboration between policymakers, innovators, and private-sector leaders. It aims to harmonise regulatory frameworks, promote public–private partnerships, and drive the effective implementation of Nigeria’s national digital strategies for inclusive and sustainable growth.

Inuwa noted that the conference’s theme, Innovation for a Sustainable Digital Future: Accelerating Growth, Inclusion, and Global Competitiveness, aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on economic diversification through digitalisation, industrialisation and innovation.

Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, also speaking at the event reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to building a sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive digital economy, calling on stakeholders across sectors to work together to achieve Nigeria’s digital transformation goals.

Dr Tijani described the annual gathering as more than a conventional technology conference. According to him, Digital Nigeria serves as a national platform for dialogue, collaboration, and actionable strategies that will shape the country’s future in the digital era.

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to Digital Nigeria 2025, something I consider to be a dialogue, but also collaboration and action towards building a sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive digital economy for our nation. This event reminds us of what digital truly means for our past as a people, our present reality, and the future we are striving to build,” he mentioned.

Dr Tijani took the audience on a reflective journey through Nigeria’s digital history, noting that the liberalisation of the telecommunications industry in 1999 was a bold, transformative decision that changed the trajectory of the nation’s economy.

“That decision marked the beginning of a new economy built on ideas and innovation. The introduction of mobile connectivity reshaped how Nigerians live, work, and connect, fuelling a digital revolution that continues to expand opportunities for millions,” the Minister explained.

He emphasised that the ripple effect of that single reform continues to be felt across sectors and further noted that the digital economy now contributes about 18 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a clear demonstration of the sector’s growing importance as a driver of national growth and economic diversification.

He also highlighted Nigeria’s global leadership in financial technology (fintech) innovation, citing the country’s advanced digital payment systems and thriving startup ecosystem.

“Today, Nigeria boasts one of the most efficient and responsive payment systems in the world. Transactions that take hours or even days elsewhere are completed instantly here. This innovation has produced five of Africa’s nine technology unicorns, companies each valued at over a billion dollars,” Tijani stated.

Senator Kashim Shettima, the Nigerian Vice President, in his remarks stated that the country is on the cusp of a historic transformation as the government advances toward passing the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill into law.

He described the bill as a cornerstone of the nation’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy powered by digital innovation. Emphasizing its significance, he noted that the bill represents more than legislative reform—it is “a strategic leap toward embedding technology into the fabric of governance, economic planning, and national development.”

Drawing a compelling parallel with Nigeria’s cashless policy, which catalysed the fintech revolution, the Vice President said the anticipated impact of the new bill would ignite a govtech revolution.

“Just as the cashless policy unlocked the fintech revolution, this new bill will unlock the govtech revolution—an era of smarter governance, greater transparency, and inclusive service delivery,” he declared.

He explained that this new era would be defined by smarter governance, greater transparency, and inclusive service delivery, all driven by digital tools and infrastructure. He stressed that the bill is part of a broader national strategy to position Nigeria as a global leader in digital innovation, with the potential to transform every sector of society.

He highlighted that Nigeria, with over 220 million people and an average age of 18, stands at a critical crossroads, one that could either unleash unprecedented prosperity or deepen socio-economic challenges if the nation fails to harness the creativity of its youth.

“If we harness the energy, the creativity and talent of our youth, we are not just going to power Nigeria, but we can power the entire Africa into a new era of prosperity. But if we fail to do that, if we fail to skill our youth, if we fail to provide a platform for them to create value, we are stunting the most valuable asset we have as a nation,” he noted.

The NITDA DG revealed that the 2025 edition of the conference has attracted over 4,800 participants from 12 countries and 25 Nigerian states, making it both a national and international gathering of innovators, policymakers, and investors.

He said, “This year’s event features 12 keynote sessions, 23 panel discussions, five workshops, and two expert masterclasses across five thematic tracks.”

Africa Trade Engine (ATE), a groundbreaking joint venture between TRT Manufacturing and TradeDepot, has officially launched—ushering in a new era for Africa’s industrial and trade independence.

ATE is designed as a private-sector engine for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with a mission to drive trade and job creation, enabling global and African brands to produce in Africa, and reach African markets faster and more reliably.

Turning Trade Theory into Trade at Work

“The talking is over. Africa Trade Engine ensures Africa’s industrialisation, intra-continental trade, and sustainable job creation are not future aspirations but operational realities,” said Adam Molai, Chairman of ATE.

“Built by African hands and powered by African enterprise, ATE transforms trade theory into trade at work — proving that Africa can manufacture competitively, distribute efficiently, and grow inclusively.”

ATE combines TRT Manufacturing’s industrial expertise in product formulation, manufacturing, quality assurance, export packaging, and plant operations with TradeDepot’s digital distribution infrastructure, market access, and trade data analytics.

Together, they unlock a continent-wide manufacturing and logistics ecosystem linking regional production hubs from South Africa to Benin, as well as active distribution points in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

Reshaping Africa’s Economic and Climate Future

“Africa’s shift from import dependency to local production is not just an economic imperative — it’s a job creation and climate game-changer,” said Kachi Izukanne, co-founder of TradeDepot and CEO of ATE.

It is aimed at uplifting youth employment and harnessing Africa’s youth dividend, where the median age is 19.7 years, as well as the trends of urbanisation and rising consumer demand.

Each facility will build technical expertise and stabilise local livelihoods.

“We are creating supply chain resilience with regionalised production networks ensuring continuity during global disruptions,” says Izukanne.

The ATE model also adds significant impetus to AfCFTA, where 54 signatories, 1.4 billion people, and a US$3.4 trillion GDP market open the door to immense opportunities and sustained growth.

By localising the production of essential FMCG — including household and personal care products — ATE addresses an estimated US $50 billion annual import gap while unlocking new intra-African trade corridors.

ATE’s distributed manufacturing and pack-out nodes were conceived as a direct response to the COVID-19 supply chain crisis, ensuring Africa never stalls again.

Local production also cuts long-haul transport emissions and supports national decarbonisation targets.

“Every kilometre of reduced shipping is a tangible carbon win. Each facility means livelihoods retained, families stabilised, and skills transferred locally. Manufacturing at home is migration policy in action — dignity and employment anchored in local economies,” says Izukanne.

ATE’s model will also deliver measurable and immediate impact across the data and tech fronts through:

• A Localisation Africa Index – A new benchmark for tracking and rewarding brands that localise manufacturing and sourcing.
• Data-Driven Competitiveness – Shared trade data, sector insights, and case studies drive smarter business and policy decisions.
• Partnership Power – Collaboration between industrial and digital leaders creates scalable, sustainable growth.

“The Localisation Index will be an accountability framework monitoring how multinational and local brands localise manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution. This will serve as a new ESG metric, offering investors and governments a transparent lens into who is truly ‘Made in Africa’ ” explains Izukanne.

Africa’s Resilience Blueprint

The TRT Manufacturing–TradeDepot partnership exemplifies ATE’s purpose: industrial know-how meets digital market access.

By pairing factory floors with a trade operating system, ATE is creating a connected ecosystem that ensures the goods Africa produces can move quickly, affordably, and compliantly across borders.

“ATE’s partnerships are Africa’s new trade architecture,” added Molai. “We are proving that cooperation is the continent’s greatest competitive advantage.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria’s quickest path to catching up with developed economies lies in digital innovation and the creation of a vibrant national tech ecosystem.

Pic credit…… solutionshub.epam.com

Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ forum on technology and innovation on Tuesday, Shettima said Nigeria is “endowed with one of the world’s most vibrant pools of talent,” stressing that the success of the nation, and indeed the continent depends on how effectively it harnesses this human capital for innovation-driven growth.

“If there is any standout route through which we can catch up with developed economies, it lies in digital innovation,” he said.

“We are endowed with vibrant minds, and our success as a people can only be guaranteed by us.”

The Vice President urged a shift from surface-level digital adoption to deep-tech innovation capable of addressing national challenges in sectors such as agriculture, health, logistics, and governance.

He said Nigeria must focus on developing a digital ecosystem that functions seamlessly across the country — from Lagos and Abuja to Kano, Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Bauchi.

“We must move beyond mere applications to building foundational, deep-tech solutions that respond to the real needs of our people,” he added.

Outlining the nation’s long-term strategy, the VP said the government’s digital transformation agenda rests on three core pillars: People, Infrastructure, and Policy.

He explained that the People pillar focuses on building a “holistic pipeline of digital talent” through digital literacy integration in schools and national inclusion programs, while the Infrastructure pillar emphasizes broadband connectivity to power a truly digital economy.