By A Startup Consultative Forum, an initiative designed to accelerate the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) and strengthen the country’s tech startup ecosystem, has taken root in Nigeria.
Inaugurating the Forum, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Kashifu Inuwa described the platform as more than just a stakeholder meeting.
He said, “It is a commitment to building a stronger tech ecosystem through collaboration, inclusion, and data-driven governance, marking a new phase in the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act.”
He noted that the Nigeria Startup Act is more than legislation-it is a framework for national development, saying “Startups are not fringe players. They are central to Nigeria’s economic future.”
Inuwa who was represented by the Acting Director, Regulation and Compliance of NITDA, Mr Emmanuel Edet, said that the Forum will serve as a feedback engine, spotlighting regulatory gaps, guiding policy improvements, and shaping a startup-friendly environment.
According to him, for startups to thrive, policies must be inclusive and responsive, adding “Inclusion is not charity. It is a strategy.”
In his remark, Director of IT Infrastructure Solutions, NITDA, Mr Oladejo Olawunmi, said, “We remain deeply committed to nurturing a space where innovation can flourish, and I call upon each of us to embrace the task ahead by shaping ideas into concrete policy and outcomes that leave a lasting impact.”
National Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Victoria Fabunmi in her opening address called the Forum, a “structured dialogue between those building the future and those enabling it.”
She outlined five key pillars for success: access to funding, capacity building, supportive policy, inclusive innovation, and global competitiveness.
Fabunmi urged startups to speak boldly, private sector players to offer more than capital, development partners to scale what works, and government to harmonize efforts.
“This Forum must be a problem-solving platform, not another talk shop,” she said.
