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NIS2016: NCC, Dokita, SFH, Others Discuss Innovation in Nigeria
The innovative application of ICT in some other sectors of the economy in Nigeria has become one of the major successful outcomes of the country’s telecommunications regulations, according to Professor Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).
The EVC who spoke through Mr. Tony Ojobo, director, Public Affairs at the Commission at the opening of two-day Nigeria Innovation Conference (#nis2016), cited the pharmaceutical industry where the authenticity of drugs are now verified through the use of mobile phones, as one of the innovations powered by telecommunications industry.
He said that in the agricultural sector, “We are all aware of the innovation where farmers were equipped with mobile phones and they are able to be reached for distribution of fertilizers and other critical infrastructure that have given them better yields.
“In the movie industry, as represented by Nollywood, the Commission has taken steps to collaborate with the actors and producers evolve better ways to distribute their contents to the worldwide audience and also to improve their production capabilities through the application of relevant technologies available in other parts of the world”.
The EVC said that innovation is one of the main eight-point agenda of the current leadership of the Commission. “The fourth item of that agenda, in particular, seeks to promote ICT innovation and investment opportunities. By this, the Commission makes conscious efforts to promote ICT innovations in ways that improve the nation’s ability to compete in the global economy, increase investments in youths, and promote SMEs for new businesses deliveries and breakthroughs”.
Speaking on ‘How Nigeria Higher Education System can drive Innovation: Opportunities for Collaboration and Partnership for Economic Development’, Dr. Tunde Adekola, senior education specialist at World Bank, said “What it means to be ‘innovative’ in 2015 may be different than it was in 1885 or 1985 (and it will perhaps be different still in 2085). That said, there is little argument that, whatever the year, and wherever you are, basic numeracy and literacy skills are fundamental to one’s education and ability to navigate successfully through life now require learning and innovation skills , statistical literacy, digital literacy skills, life and career skills”.
He said that both innovation and higher education are important for national development and must be value added, as “In midst of competition, time is also of essence. It is not only about what we know but when do we know it. Innovation makes all the difference between a developed and marginalized economy “
“Developing countries will have little success boosting economic growth and reducing poverty unless they can close a growing “S&T Innovation” divide between themselves and richer countries. With on-going recession or depression and the resolve of this gathering to strengthening partnership collaboration and cooperation between states and non-state actors, there is now and unique opportunity for innovation, interconnectivity, invigoration and inclusiveness for quality and S&T education.
He added that quality education remains the critical determinant of a country’s economic growth and standard of living as learning outcomes are transformed into goods and services, greater institutional capacity, a more effective public sector, a stronger civil society, and a better investment climate.
Also speaking, Dr. Daniel Folukoya, founder and CEO, OneDokita, Healthcare Limited, said that as young inventors they were challenged by the poor patient-doctor interface in the Nigeria’s healthcare system, hence the development of 1dokita platform.
“On the course of our research, the need for reliable data in the healthcare system actually informed the innovation- Onedokita. For instance, we may want to pick up cases for treatment like Diabetes; we know people in England have such cases at different levels, because statistics are there to assist your programme. But when we are looking at the Nigerian situation, digitally, there is very little data on that. What we actually is that there are data on HIV, malaria and tuberculoses (TB).
“But these illnesses come and kill quickly in terms of the worst case scenario. But what happens is that as you are treating HIV, malaria and TB, the life span of each person becomes longer, however the lifestyle diseases like hypertension, if you ask anybody about the data, we do not know,” he said.
He however called for more flexible regulatory system to spur more innovations in the country. “Nigeria is economically in recession, but technologically we are turning a corner reaching a threshold that will ‘burst’ and expand, which will trigger a turnaround in the nation’s economy. Due to our optimism we are building relationships and trusts in the market. We just need to recognise innovation in whatever sector of the country by way of flexible regulations”.
Meanwhile, Sir Bright Ekweremadu, managing director, Society for Family Health (SFH), said that over time, the public health sector in Nigeria has experienced increase in the use of innovative strategies and technologies in the delivery of health care services.
He highlighted some of the innovations as include the use of mobile technologies in data management, task shifting strategies to curb the effect of shortage of human resources, the use of mobile doctors to deliver health services in emergencies by the Flying Doctors Nigeria, effective containment of Ebola Virus Disease through prompt case management, surveillance, contact tracing, communication and social mobilization by Ebola Alert among others.
Ekweremadu said that SFH as a leading public health non-governmental organisation in Nigeria, with over 30 years of experience in delivering public health services adopts various innovative strategies in the delivery of health services to empower Nigerians particularly the poor and vulnerable, to lead healthier lives in line with her mission statement.
The speakers unanimously called for improved support from the government for conducive environment, especially to protect ‘weak’ innovators from the giant companies.
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to open governance, transparency and inclusive digital development as the Open Government Partnership (OGP) team formally presented the award and certificate received at the OGP Global Summit Spain 2025 to the Agency’s leadership.
Nigeria emerged as the overall global winner in the Digital Governance category in recognition of the country’s excellence in deploying digital tools and policies to strengthen government transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement. In addition, Nigeria received the Regional Award for advancing Open Digital Governance across Africa and the Middle East, reaffirming its leadership role in promoting open government principles and driving digital transformation across the region.
These recognitions were largely attributed to initiatives led by NITDA in collaboration with civil society partners, such as Dataphyte, which showcased innovative and inclusive approaches to digital governance at the summit.
The summit, which was organised in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, brought together more than 1,500 high-level representatives of governments, civil society leaders, and policymakers from around the world to exchange experiences, best practices, and progress on open government initiatives and implementation on key issues.
Receiving the OGP delegation at NITDA, Inuwa described the recognition as a national honour rather than an institutional one, stressing that the award reflects Nigeria’s collective efforts across government, civil society and the private sector in advancing open governance principles through the digital space.
According to him, such global recognition comes with heightened responsibility to deliver on commitments made under the OGP framework.
“This is not just about NITDA. It is a national recognition, and every recognition comes with responsibility,” the DG said.
“If we fail to execute the commitments we have made, it will not only affect our image locally but also at the international stage. This is also not something NITDA can do in isolation,” he added.
Inuwa linked the achievement directly to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that digital transformation, transparency, economic diversification, job creation and efficient public service delivery remain central presidential priority areas.
He emphasised that leveraging digital technologies to deepen openness and accountability aligns with national objectives of strengthening institutions, improving governance outcomes and building trust between government and citizens.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, the NITDA boss underscored the role of the OGP platform as a catalyst for a strong multi-stakeholder approach in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
He called on civil society organisations, development partners, the private sector and other government institutions to provide technical expertise, guidance and sustained engagement to ensure effective implementation of agreed commitments.
“We need to leverage the OGP platform. We need your expertise, your guidance, your support and your commitment to hand-hold us in delivering on these commitments,” he said.
He further noted that “a multi-stakeholder approach in the digital space is critical to fostering a resilient ecosystem that delivers real value to citizens.”
Inuwa disclosed that NITDA has already begun internal reviews of its OGP commitments and has tasked its representatives, including Dr Rousseau, to work with colleagues to develop a clear execution strategy.
He proposed the creation of joint work streams with OGP stakeholders to support implementation, ensure accountability and keep all parties on track.
“We are humans. Oversight and collaboration help us stay focused. With commitment, nothing is impossible, and I believe these goals are achievable,” he added, assuring the delegation of NITDA’s readiness and political will to deliver on all agreed commitments.
Inuwa also welcomed the idea of engaging the political leadership of OGP, including the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, with a view to briefing President Tinubu on the achievement. He noted that celebrating milestones is important, as it reinforces morale and demonstrates that Nigeria’s efforts in digital governance are gaining global recognition.
“It’s also good when there are wins, we should celebrate, because we too never knew that the little things we are doing are noticed not just within Nigeria, but globally, to the extent of earning us this award,” he asserted.
He concluded by expressing gratitude to the Nigerian National OGP Secretariat and the global OGP leadership, reaffirming NITDA’s commitment to strengthening collaboration and building a more productive working relationship that will translate open governance principles into measurable national impact.
Earlier in his remark, Mr Olusoji Apampa, who led the OGP deelegation, said the honours were earned through a strong partnership between government and civil society, with NITDA playing a critical role, particularly in commitments focused on improving digital governance in Nigeria.
Apampa expressed hope that the awards would serve as added momentum to deepen ongoing commitments under NITDA’s leadership and accelerate the practical implementation of reforms aimed at strengthening digital governance across the country.
PalmPay, Nigeria’s leading digital banking platform, has announced the launch of its ₦400 million festive rewards campaign, designed to reward users with cash prizes and fully sponsored international travel experiences for everyday transactions on the PalmPay app.
The campaign will run from December 17, 2025, to January 8, 2026. The campaign is designed to reward everyday transactions with extraordinary experiences. It runs alongside PalmPay’s Purple December brand campaign, which focuses on wrapping up the company’s key brand and community initiatives for the year.
At the centre of the rewards campaign is the PalmPay World Travel Carnival, an interactive card collection experience that allows users to earn city cards by completing transactions on the app. Users are required to collect five city cards – London, New York, Dubai, Sydney, and Cape Town and combine them into a World Card, which unlocks a share of the prize pool.
The more World Cards a user creates, the larger their share of the cash rewards. Any extra uncombined cards can be swapped with friends and other PalmPay users to help complete additional World Cards.
Beyond cash rewards, the Carnival also offers Free Global Trips. In each round, the top two users with the highest number of eligible transactions (₦100 and above) and at least one World Card will win an all-expense-paid international trip.
The travel grand prize covers:
- Visa fees
- Round-trip international airfare
- 5-day, 4-night hotel accommodation
- Side attraction
- Meal expenses
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- All transportation for scheduled tour activities during the trip
Winners will be determined through a transparent leaderboard system, with prizes credited automatically at the end of each round on December 25, December 31, and January 8.
Participation is simple:
- Complete tasks on the PalmPay app, such as Airtime, Data, Transfers, and other specific transactions listed in the app, to earn cards.
- Collect all five city cards.
- Swap cards with friends to complete your collection.
- Combine cards to form a World Card and earn cash rewards.
- Perform more transactions to climb the leaderboard for a chance at the global trip prize.
To ensure fairness, PalmPay has instituted strict rules: no cheating, bots, fake accounts, or manipulation. Any violations may lead to disqualification or account bans. Additionally, the Free Travel Prize is limited to one per user throughout the campaign.
Speaking on the launch, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing & Communication, “This festive rewards campaign is about turning everyday banking into meaningful value for our users. With the World Travel Carnival as the headline activation, we are reinforcing PalmPay’s promise of being the smarter way to bank—where smart financial decisions unlock bigger opportunities.”
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a nationwide energy survey aimed at closing long-standing data gaps in Nigeria’s power sector. The initiative is expected to guide policy, attract investment, and accelerate universal electricity access.
Signed in Abuja, the agreement establishes a National Energy Survey based on the Multi-Tier Tracking Framework (MTF), a globally recognized methodology that measures electricity access not only by grid connection but also by quality, affordability, reliability, and usage of electricity and clean cooking solutions.
The survey will be implemented under the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank. Dr. Abba Aliyu, REA Managing Director/CEO, said the partnership underscores REA’s commitment to evidence-based rural electrification planning and will generate detailed insights on electricity access and off-grid solutions nationwide.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO of NBS, emphasized that reliable statistics are essential for effective policymaking, assuring that NBS will provide technical oversight, sampling expertise, and quality assurance to meet global standards.
The survey will assess energy access, household affordability, expenditure patterns, and the adoption of off-grid technologies such as solar home systems, mini-grids, and clean cooking solutions. REA will provide sector expertise and policy alignment, while NBS manages regulatory approvals, methodology, and technical supervision.
Funded and technically overseen by the World Bank, the exercise will run for 18 months, with the resulting data expected to improve national energy planning, programme targeting, and private sector investment, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
Officials said the collaboration reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency coordination, enhancing energy data availability, and advancing Nigeria’s goal of universal electricity and clean cooking access.
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