Telecom
NITDA, JICA Partner to Power Nigeria’s Tech Future with $11.2M Hub
In a landmark move towards implementing the Presidential priority area of reforming the economy for sustained inclusive growth and accelerating diversification through industrialisation and digitisation by strengthening Nigeria’s innovation and technology ecosystem, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has announced the commencement of $11.2 million innovation hub in Abuja, a transformative initiative in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The partnership, which is in collaboration with the Chief Consultant, Consortium of Oriental Consultants Global Co. Ltd., Intem Consulting Inc., and Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd., was formalised with the signing of an agreement for the implementation of the Startup Hub Project.
The project, backed by a $11.2 million grant from JICA, is designed to significantly boost Nigeria’s innovation landscape by providing vital infrastructure and support for startups and serving as a centre for creativity, research, and technological development.
Earlier this year, the Federal Government of Nigeria entered into a $30 million grant agreement with JICA for the establishment of Startup Hubs in Abuja.
The project consists of two major components: the first, a $9.9 million initiative to be implemented by NITDA, focuses on the development of a dedicated Startup Hub; the second, valued at $21 million and to be executed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), aims to create a supportive environment for the growth of social startups across the country.
In his remark, Inuwa revealed that the project began with the launch of the iHatch, an initiative designed to co-train and incubate startups, supported with seed funding by JICA.
“To strengthen this relationship, JICA decided to give us a grant to build an innovation hub, so that after training the startups, they can have access to a makerspace where they can turn their ideas into products and services, JICA is giving us a grant worth of $11.2 million to build this innovation hub,” he stated.
Inuwa also lauded the collaborative efforts aimed at deepening the relationship between the Nigerian and Japanese technology ecosystems.
He highlighted the importance of ongoing exchange programmes, which not only foster knowledge sharing and skills transfer but also open new avenues for collaboration between innovators in both countries.
These initiatives, he noted, are instrumental to creating a more enabling environment for Nigerian startups to grow into sustainable, innovation-driven enterprises capable of competing on a global scale.
“It’s about building the entire ecosystem; we are not just training startups, we are also giving them the tools, the environment, and the financing they need to thrive,” he averred.
The DG disclosed that the consultants have arrived and are set to begin the preliminary design work, marking the official commencement of the project’s implementation phase.
Beyond infrastructure, the hub is envisioned as a catalyst for economic growth by nurturing homegrown talent and promoting entrepreneurship.
It will serve as a critical bridge between training and commercialisation, offering a conducive environment for startups to ideate, experiment, and scale their businesses.
By equipping innovators with the resources that they need to thrive, such as mentorship, incubation support, and access to seed funding, the project aims to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading tech and innovation hub in Africa.
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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