NITDA launches National Innovation Hub Standards Framework to decentralize Nigeria's tech ecosystem beyond Lagos/Abuja
NITDA is developing a National Innovation Hub Standards Framework to create common standards for innovation hubs nationwide and strengthen their capacity to support startups. Director General Kashifu Inuwa disclosed this at a validation workshop in Abuja, stating the framework will help build stronger, more sustainable innovation ecosystems across Nigeria by decentralizing focus from Lagos, Abuja and a few other states.
The framework targets Nigeria's 339 identified innovation hubs—many concentrated in Lagos/Abuja—providing a structured pathway for hubs to assess capabilities, identify gaps and improve maturity levels. It contains seven key dimensions and 35 assessment categories for hubs to evaluate their development without imposing rigid requirements, instead serving as a guide for self-improvement based on local community strengths.
Inuwa emphasized that government alone cannot sustain startup growth, calling for greater private sector risk capital investment and stronger university-industry collaboration. NITDA is already working with the Federal Ministry of Education to integrate digital skills into formal education. The framework draft is open for input from hub founders, investors, development partners, government institutions, academia and other stakeholders for refinement.
Will you engage with this framework to strengthen your local innovation hub's capabilities, or see it as another top-down policy that won't change Lagos/Abuja's dominance in Nigeria's tech landscape?