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ICT Stakeholders List Ways to Creating Billion Dollar Firms in Nigeria
In a bid aimed at supporting the government and leaders in technology in their efforts at driving the change needed to be seen in the Nigerian technology industry, various key Stakeholders in the nation’s ICT sector recently met in Abuja and identified interventions required to create billion dollar companies in Nigeria.
At the first Digital Africa Leadership Series, with the theme: “Generating Laws and Policies for Creating Local $Billion Tech Companies – How do we get there?,” which held on the 20th of April, 2017 at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, participants which included the Honourable Minister of Communications Technology, Barrister Adebayo Shittu; the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami; Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, members of the civil society organisations, entrepreneurs, government functionaries and CEOs of top ICT firms came up with far-reaching decisions.
In a communiqué at the end of the one-day event, participants noted that there is an established correlation between the number of $billion tech companies in a country and the size and level of development of their economy. Therefore, there is a need for the country to consciously think of the policies and legal framework needed to build the Nigerian Tech companies that would achieve multi $billion status. This also means that Nigerian companies should always see the whole world as its market.
Stakeholders at the event noted that Nigeria with a population of about 200million people is supposed to play a leading role in Africa, especially in the innovation and diffusion of ICTs. Whereas this is the case, other countries like Kenya and Rwanda seem to be bettering Nigeria’s efforts. It was, therefore, agreed that greater effort should be put in the country to ensure that she meticulously executes her National ICT policies or Road Map.
Participants agreed that the Minister and the leadership of other ICT agencies should inspire and drive a new vision for Nigeria’s ICT industry through their public engagement and use of the social media.
It noted that the country has developed several ICT strategy documents, roadmaps, national ICT blueprints and master-plans, and bemoaned the seeming confusion as to which is the driving document for the country. It therefore, called for a need for harmonisation and/or communication of the right document, as stakeholders desire to know which one of them is the driving plan for the industry.
The stakeholders noted the assurance of the Honourable Minister that the Federal Executive Council will soon approve the National ICT Roadmap document as well as the National e-Governance Masterplan document. Accordingly, they advised that when approved, the same documents should be widely circulated.
Stakeholders noted the existence of Local Content Office under the National Information Technology Development Agency and the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology and advocated for a target percentage of local ICT contracts to be awarded to Nigerian businesses, advising that where no Nigerian company is qualified, such Nigerian company should understudy the expatriate company in order to ensure transfer of knowledge within a specified period.
The Stakeholders further noted the inadequacy of the current intellectual property and copyright protection laws in Nigeria and advocated for the laws to be updated to provide sufficient protection for Nigerian businesses.
It was noted that the quality of ICT education from Primary, Secondary and especially the tertiary levels are weak when compared to what is obtainable from other parts of the world. It is, therefore, important for the government to create the enabling policies, laws and infrastructural environment needed to greatly enhance the quality of ICT education in Nigeria, adding that Government’s direct intervention to hasten the size and variety of capacity in ICT for the country is highly desirable.
Participants at the one-day forum noted that despite the two decades of efforts at enhancing relative ICT infrastructure in the country with regards to electricity, telecommunications network and computer hardware availability, the level, size, number and quality of infrastructure in the country are still insufficient, thereby impinging on the ability of the country to properly participate in the coming 4th Industrial Revolution. They, therefore, advised that the government must take urgent action to provide the country with a befitting infrastructure in readiness for the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The forum also noted that many infrastructural projects in the country are poorly supervised and built with substandard materials. Therefore, Government should ensure that an effective quality system is introduced and that projects are undertaken to specification, cost and agreed timeline.
It further noted that there is a need to ensure that various ICT policies from the different ICT Regulatory Agencies in the country are appropriately communicated to all relevant stakeholders such as trade unions, individuals, organisations and sectoral regulators.
Stakeholders observed and noted that most organisations that are calling themselves Incubators are actually playing the role of Accelerators and that there is a dearth of knowledge in Incubation Hubs Management, and therefore, advised that the Government should create special facilities for training Nigerians on the development and running of Incubation Hubs.
With regards to investment in all sectors of ICT, it was noted that if the enabling environment is there as well as the right kind of incentives, not just local investors but even international investors and capital will move in. Similarly, it was noted that in order to enhance capacity for the industry, Government should encourage organisations that train people for various ICT skills with incentives such as Tax Breaks. This according to the forum, will encourage numerous organisations to train graduates bearing in mind that they will only be able to keep a few while the rest will go into the industry to enhance capacity.
The Communiqué commended the Minister on the plan for the proposed transformation of NIPOST to amongst other things, provide electronic banking services, e-commerce services, banking and finance services, transportation and logistics services, property development services, etc. It noted with excitement that the NIPOST reform package will soon be launched and therefore, encouraged the Minister to see to the successful and timely implementation of same.
The forum noted that in order for the Government to catalyse the Nigerian ICT industry, and because of the general recession in the country, government should in addition to setting up the necessary enabling environment, provide funding for startup businesses, and provide the needed funding for entrepreneurs under an appropriate arrangement without having to be in business itself.
The stakeholders acknowledged with commendation, the fact that the Federal Government has decided to build a National ICT Park. They suggested that in addition to this, a minimum of 30 Techshops should be built across the country. The Techshops will provide implements or building materials, i.e. both process and product technologies with which to fabricate whatever innovative ideas Nigerians may have using all possible fabrication materials like iron, steel, wood, plastics, etc. In other words, the Techshops will provide centres with all the necessary building tools for the trialling and fabrication of different innovative ideas.
The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).
Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.
“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.
She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,
Learning through experience
Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.
Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.
Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.
Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.
World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.
The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.
The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.
Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
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