National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has signed an agreement with Revass System limited to strengthen technology acquisition compliance through its regulatory framework and boost sustainable capacity in the country.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement in Abuja, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, director general and chief executive officer, NOTAP, said that the agreement is to reinforce NOTAP’s core mission of ensuring that technology imported into the Country serves the broader interest particularly in advancing local content development, nurturing indigenous capabilities and ensuring sustainable job creation.

In a statement made available to journalists by Raymond Ogbu, assistant chief information officer, NOTAP,  the DG said that the major purpose of the agreement was for Revass Systems limited to design, develop, deploy and manage a secure and efficient digital revenue collection system for NOTAP that will be in compliance with NOTAP Act, Central Bank of Nigeria CBN financial guidelines, NITDA policies, and other applicable Nigerian laws.

The DG said that the app should enhance transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency in revenue collection and management as well as build the capacity of NOTAP staff through structured training and technology transfer initiatives.

Dr. Amadiobi stated that the agreement reflects a strategic approach to safeguarding Nigeria’s economic and technological independence by ensuring that every technology transferred into the country delivers tangible value to Nigerians.

“This partnership represents a pivotal step in ensuring that technologies coming into Nigeria are not only in compliance with Nigerian laws but also aligned with the country’s developmental priorities”.

“The goal of the agency is to ensure that every agreement NOTAP registers, contributes meaningfully to critical skills development, job creation and growth of local enterprises” she said.

The Director General reaffirmed that the milestone is in consonance with the strategic vision of the supervising ministry, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST) as well as the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy driven by local capabilities, productive collaborations, and build globally competitive talents.

“No meaningful developments could happen in critical areas of our economy without the deployment of technology hence the office is making every effort to deploy technology in all its operations to ensure efficient and timely service delivery” she added.

Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate data collection from Informal Cross Border Trade.

Nonye Ayeni, executive director/CEO of NEPC, at the signing ceremony held in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital said the event marked a major turning point in Nigeria’s quest to grow its export trade through the capturing of data in the informal sector.

“Existing trade data primarily capture activities within the formal sector, offering limited visibility into informal export trade transactions, despite their significant volume and economic impact. In 2024, formal export trade records indicate that 7.291 million metric tons of non-oil products valued at US$5.456 billion, were exported from Nigeria. This figure excludes informal export trade data”, she added.

She stated that the Informal cross-border trade is not just a distant, peripheral activity but real trade that fuels livelihoods, strengthens regional supply chains, and contributes significantly to our national and continental economic resilience.

According to her, “Informal export trade representing millions of dollars in goods and services has remained largely outside our official records. Informal export trade data collected by NEPC State offices from major corridors in Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Lagos, Ogun, and Adamawa reveal transactions valued at over $31.8 million in some months of 2024”.

Ayeni disclosed that reports from the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), shows that over 1.6 million bags worth of the commodity were traded informally to neighbouring countries such as Ghana, Cote D Ivoire, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, and Niger Republic.

The NEPC boss pointed out that these impressive achievements were not captured in the national export trade statistics thus portending real implications for economic planning for the country.

“It weakens Nigeria’s voice in regional and global trade negotiations, it denies informal traders the recognition and support they need to thrive as well as diminishes Nigeria’s economic potential, especially the vital contributions of women, youth, and MSMEs”.

Ayeni explained that the collaboration between the Council and the NBS was borne out of the desire to correct the imbalance and capture the full spectrum of Nigeria’s export trade activity.

Adeyemi Adeniran, statistician general of the Federation, noted that the meeting of key players from national and sub-national agencies, regional institutions, international development partners, and the organized private sector, reflects the strong spirit of collaboration required to address one of the most pressing challenges in Nigeria’s trade data architecture, capturing and integrating data from informal trade and trade in services into the national framework.

Adeniran was of the view that the data gap severely impedes evidence-based policymaking, limits capacity to engage in fair trade negotiations, and undermines the accuracy of  macroeconomic indicators adding that traditional trade measurement systems have long focused on formal, large-scale transactions while overlooking the vibrancy of informal trade routes.

He disclosed that informal trade in Sub-Saharan Africa contributes between 20 to 40 per cent of intra-African trade, with Nigeria accounting for a significant share due to its long and porous borders.

“These are not just gaps in data, rather, they represent gaps in our understanding of economic life and the well-being of millions of Nigerians who engage in these activities daily”, he said

Adeniran said the collaboration with NEPC, presents a timely opportunity to update and harness current trends, identify new opportunities, and design data-informed strategies to support trade formalization, enhance competitiveness, and ultimately foster inclusive economic growth.

“Capturing informal trade data will also help us design smarter border policies, enhance food security, facilitate small and medium enterprise development, and monitor regional integration efforts,” he added.

The 2025 Enugu Tech Festival being organised by the Enugu State Government kicked off yesterday with the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, describing it as the biggest technology conference that has ever happened in Nigeria.

Tijani said the Tech Festival, which attracted thousands of youths from within and outside the state, was a major leap for Nigeria’s determination to build a robust digital economy, noting that Enugu State under Governor Peter Mbah, had moved from policy to progress to lead the tech revolution in Nigeria.

This was even as Governor Peter Mbah urged the youths to embrace technology, insisting that the future is technology.

Speaking, the Minister said that the Tech Festival, tagged Coal to Code, fitted into the agenda and activities of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, having recognised that the future of digital economy in Nigeria would not only be built in Abuja, but would instead be co-created across all states.

“Enugu is showing how this should and will be done. I have never, never been to a conference on technology in Nigeria that is this big. I founded the first technology hub in Nigeria, the very first in Nigeria. So, I know a thing or two when technology people gather. I can assure you that today, you are part of history because we have never seen anything this big in Nigeria before.

“There is something powerful about your state: the energy, the ambition, the possibilities. Just two years ago, only a few people could imagine this kind of tech momentum. But today, Enugu has not just imagined, Enugu is building it. Under two years, we have seen investment in digital infrastructure, and the innovation ecosystem of the state.

“What is happening today in Enugu is part of something bigger. We are now witnessing a generational rise, not one where people complain and protest, but one where creativity is used to shape the future. Not just with passion, but with precision,” he stated.

While commending the participants for rising to “create the kind of Nigeria the world will pay attention to,” Tijani called for collaboration, commitment, and hard work by all stakeholders to make it happen.

“Progress is not automatic, but needs all of us. It needs the government to continue to be brave. It needs the private sector to invest deeper. It needs mentors, builders, teachers, and it needs leaders,” he concluded.

Speaking, Governor Mbah, while highlighting how his administration had invested in technology to dramatically revolutionise security, land administration, education, among others, noted that the Enugu Tech Festival was part of his government’s wider efforts to build the youth of the state into wealth creators and highly sought-after workforce of tomorrow’s workplace.

“The power of technology and innovation and what we can accomplish is something that I want the youths to be mindful of. If you look at the way things are being done in the world today, we are now talking about an era where people just sit down with great ideas, create platforms where they begin to essentially benefit from that platform.

“An example is the Uber that came and disrupted the city taxi without owning a key. Today, they provide by far the largest traffic just by creating a platform. You can extend that to Airbnb.

Without owning a key, these guys have disrupted the business of those who own several brick and mortar houses. You can also extend that to Tesla. That is the power of technology. This shows essentially that technology is where the future is,” he emphasised.

In his remark, the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Lawrence Ezeh, said the Enugu Tech Festival, which would now become an annual event, underscored a paradigm shift from the old Enugu known for coal to one that has become a rising force in Nigeria’s tech-driven future, a beacon of innovation, intellectual capital, digital enterprise, and endless possibilities.

“For decades, our identity was built on coal, a resource that powered Nigeria’s industrial rise. But today, we stand in a different kind of power—the power of knowledge, innovation, and technology,” he stated.

Also at the event were the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Barth Nnaji; Chairman of Zinox Technical, Leo Stan Ejeh; and the Group Managing Director, Afrinvest, Dr. Ike Chioke, among a host of others.