South-West, NITDA sign five-year digital economy partnership

The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission and the National Information Technology Development Agency have signed a five-year partnership aimed at establishing digital technology projects to accelerate digital transformation, innovation and inclusive economic growth across Southwest Nigeria.

A statement from the partners on Sunday stated that the projects are expected to expand access to digital opportunities for millions of citizens as part of efforts to advance Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.

It stated that the Memorandum of Understanding was signed at NITDA headquarters in Abuja last week. The partnership will run from 2025 to 2030 and cover Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.

The agreement covers digital literacy programmes as well as NITDA’s broader portfolio of initiatives, including innovation hubs, technology development centres, startup ecosystem support and regulatory frameworks for the digital economy.

The partnership is expected to support Nigeria’s goal of equipping 100 million citizens with digital skills by 2030 through the Digital Literacy-for-All initiative. The Southwest, with its large population, concentration of tertiary institutions and human capital base, is expected to play a significant role in achieving the target.

DAWN Commission’s Digital Literacy and Startup Act Implementation Plan, developed before the signing, will serve as the framework for coordinating and measuring the projects across the six states.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Abdullahi, said regional collaboration remains critical to achieving balanced digital development across the country.

He pointed to the economic gap between Lagos and other Southwest states as both a challenge and an opportunity. “We cannot develop if one part of us is lagging behind,” Abdullahi said.

He outlined plans to establish digital learning centres and innovation hubs in every state and said the agency would pursue a regional technology development model that builds on the unique economic strengths of different areas rather than adopting a uniform approach.

According to him, the Southwest should not be limited to fintech development alone, as individual states have opportunities to develop innovation clusters linked to local industries and specific economic challenges.

Abdullahi also commended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to establish regional development commissions across the country, describing the move as a shift towards a more structured approach to national development.

He contrasted the new commissions with the Niger Delta Development Commission and the North East Development Commission, which he said were created in response to crises. “Before, they were reactive. They were established because there were crises. That is why they were created – to solve crises,” he said.

The NITDA DG said the current approach reflects a governance model that combines federal and regional development efforts, adding that the DAWN Commission represents the regional component of that framework.

DAWN Commission Director-General, Dr Seye Oyeleye, described the agreement as part of efforts to strengthen regional readiness for digital transformation.

He said the commission would ensure that NITDA’s frameworks are implemented and monitored across the Southwest while also ensuring effective utilisation of federal digital infrastructure within the region.

“NITDA will get value from this MoU,” Oyeleye said. “The credibility of regional coordination bodies like the DAWN Commission rests on what we produce, not merely on what we sign.”

Under the agreement, the DAWN Commission will serve as the coordinating link between NITDA’s national programmes and the six Southwest state governments, providing a channel for implementing federal digital policies at the state level.

Both organisations agreed to determine the governance structure that will guide implementation of the partnership.