Telecom
NITDA Charts Path for Kano as Innovation Hub
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for a fundamental shift in Kano State’s economic strategy, urging stakeholders to embrace innovation, technology and collaboration as the drivers of growth in the 21st century.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
This is contained in a press statement e-authored by the Director of Corporate Communications & External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar.
Speaking at the Kano Startup Weekend, Mallam Abdullahi acknowledged Kano’s long-standing reputation as the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahelian region, noting that its history of trade, enterprise and human capital provided a solid foundation for future growth.
Abdullahi emphasised that while these strengths powered Kano’s success for centuries, the modern economy now offered even greater opportunities through innovation and technology.
He described innovation as the process of transforming ideas into impactful solutions through commercialization, stressing that when ideas were effectively deployed, they created value, solved societal challenges and generated sustainable economic growth.
He noted that Kano’s large market, strategic location and vibrant entrepreneurial culture placed it in a strong position to take advantage of innovation-driven opportunities.
According to him, “Innovation is the process of taking an idea from inception to impact. Invention on its own is a cost centre, but when you commercialise an idea, when you turn it into a product or service that solves a real problem and creates value, that is when you begin to drive economic growth and inclusion.”
He noted that the state hosted numerous degree-awarding institutions across federal, state and private ownership, providing a strong base for human capital development.
However, the NITDA DG expressed concern that these institutions often operated in isolation from industry, with research outputs rarely translating into commercial or industrial applications.
He explained that innovation did not happen in silos and stressed the need for a strong, interconnected ecosystem that brought together academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and government.
According to him, universities should conduct research informed by industry needs, industries should leverage research to improve productivity and competitiveness, and startups should serve as the bridge that converted ideas into market-ready solutions.
The NITDA boss further encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage technology to build businesses that could grow beyond local markets, explaining that innovation-driven enterprises had the power to scale rapidly, create jobs and position Kano competitively at both national and global levels.
According to him, digital platforms and emerging technologies now made it easier for startups to reach wider markets and develop solutions that were previously unimaginable.
“You can start your business here in Kano, but your thinking must be global from day one. Technology has removed barriers. With the right skills and platforms, a startup in Kano can build solutions that serve not just Nigeria, but the world,” he noted.
Highlighting NITDA’s ongoing interventions, its Director-General outlined the Agency’s commitment to building national innovation capacity through targeted human capital development programmes.
He cited the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, which aimed to equip Nigerians across all segments of society with essential digital skills, and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme, designed to produce a pipeline of globally competitive technical professionals in areas such as software development, data analysis and emerging technologies.
He said, “Through DL4ALL, we are ensuring that Nigerians at all levels have the basic digital skills needed to participate in the digital economy, while 3MTT is deliberately building a pipeline of globally competitive technical talents who can drive innovation, create jobs and attract investment.”
Abdullahi explained that these programmes were key pillars of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised skills development, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth as pathways to national prosperity.
According to him, empowering Nigerians with digital and technical skills was essential for building a resilient economy capable of competing in the global digital landscape.
“President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is about investing in people, empowering them with relevant skills and creating opportunities for inclusive growth.
“At NITDA, we are using digital skills and innovation as tools to translate that vision into real economic impact for Nigerians,” he said.
The NITDA boss urged all stakeholders in Kano to work together to build a functional innovation ecosystem that could unlock the state’s vast potential and expressed confidence that with the right mindset, strong collaboration and sustained investment in digital skills and innovation, Kano could reclaim its historic leadership role and emerge as a major innovation and entrepreneurship hub in Nigeria and beyond.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
Dr Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, has revealed that the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme has trained over 135,000 citizens as it moves from pilot to national level.
Tijani announced this in an update on the program’s success, stating that the beneficiaries were trained in three batches.
He also stated that the initiative’s community-based learning tools had provided over 300,000 extra learners with access to digital skills training across the country.
According to the minister, the program has also enabled the creation of about 15,000 job, entrepreneurship, and career development in Nigeria’s developing digital economy.
He further revealed that more than 1.8 million Nigerians are currently in the 3MTT pipeline, as the government works toward its target of equipping three million citizens with in-demand digital skills aligned with local and global labour market needs.
As the programme enters its scale-up phase, Tijani said the government’s focus will shift toward deepening impact rather than just expanding numbers.
Key priorities, he explained, include strengthening the 3MTT alumni community, widening access to economic opportunities and ensuring that skills acquired through the programme translate into measurable outcomes such as jobs, business creation and innovation.
To support this phase, the federal government has introduced the #3MTTImpactChallenge, an initiative aimed at assessing the programme’s real-world impact
Through the challenge, fellows and partners are invited to share personal stories on how 3MTT has shaped their professional journeys as part of a National Impact Reflection exercise.
Participants are expected to share their experiences across social media platforms, with selected winners set to receive prizes including laptops, e-tablets, data bundles and other incentives.
MTN Foundation has kicked off the seventh phase of its ICT business skills training programme, targeting more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, mostly from Nigeria’s small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), in support of the Federal Government’s National Digital Economy and SME Development agenda.
MTN Foundation
The virtual training’s first week ran from Monday, January 5, to Friday, January 9, 2026. It equips small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with simple digital tools to shift from paper-based operations to efficient, productivity-boosting systems.
Business analyst Babajide Jolaolu-Kehinde, moderated by Temiloluwa Oyekanmi, programme and partnerships lead, introduced the SWOT framework—Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—to guide participants in assessing and improving their businesses.
Jolaolu-Kehinde stressed digital record-keeping, online payments, and customer data tracking for measurable growth, aligning with government efforts to formalise SMEs. “Hope is good, but action and systems make growth happen,” he said.
Trainers showcased real-world examples: traders using handwritten ledgers expanded reach via WhatsApp Business, online marketplaces, and spreadsheets; others grew by accepting mobile transfers over cash and digital orders to tap distant markets.
Manual operations limit sales visibility and customer insights, experts noted, while digital tools deliver real-time data, cut errors, and unlock broader markets.
Participants must adopt at least one digital tool post-onboarding, with organisers promising follow-up workshops and mentorship. The four-week programme aims to bolster SME growth and Nigeria’s economic goals.
FCCPC Delists Non-Compliant Digital Lenders Post-January 5 Deadline
NCC Licences Six New ISPs to Challenge Telcos, Satellite Giants
Paystack Launches The Stack Group as Pan-African Tech Powerhouse
JustMarkets Unveils Top 5 Trading Assets for 2026 Profits
DG NCC Tasks University Dons on Research Commercialization, IP Management to Build Global Competitive Ecosystems
Banks quietly move to enforce new ₦50 transfer levy from Jan. 1
FIRS Declares NIN, CAC Numbers as Tax IDs from 2026
Jumia CEO says Black Friday Signals Nigeria’s E-Commerce Maturity
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone
19 Nigerian Banks Meet CBN Recapitalization Targets Ahead of March Deadline
Telecom2 days agoSpacecoin Secures Licenses to Roll Out Satellite Connectivity in Nigeria, Kenya
Telecom2 days agoGoogle Report: Nigeria Leads Global AI Adoption in Learning, Entrepreneurship
E-Business2 days agoWhat the Retail and E-commerce Sector Should Expect in 2026 in Era of AI-driven Shopping and Privacy
Telecom2 days agoAVEVA Names Khaled Salah Vice President for Africa to Drive Growth
E-Financial2 days agoFG Shops for N900Bn from Domestic Market with High-Yield Bonds
General News2 days agoTaraba Adopts Electronic Case Management System
Telecom2 days agoNetflix Switches Warner Bros. Bid to $27.75 Cash Offer as MultiChoice Secures HBO Future
E-Financial2 days agoCBN Raises Alarm over Loan Defaults by Households, Corporates