Speaking at the inauguration
on the sidelines of the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition
(DNICE), Abdullahi challenged technology entrepreneurs to look beyond
developing impressive products and focus instead on solving problems that
affect the daily lives of Nigerians.
He stressed that the country’s
numerous challenges should be viewed as unmet needs and opportunities for
innovation rather than obstacles to progress.
Abdullahi pointed out that
everyday health challenges present opportunities for health technology
entrepreneurs to develop practical solutions that could improve access to
healthcare across the country.
He highlighted agriculture as
another sector with significant room for technological innovation, pointing to
the difficulties farmers face in dealing with unpredictable weather, poor soil
information and limited access to markets.
According to him, digital
solutions that provide farmers with timely weather forecasts, soil information,
guidance on planting and fertiliser application, as well as market connections,
could improve productivity and household incomes.
Abdullahi said the Builders
Festival was established to address a critical gap between people who
understand the problems and those with the technical capacity to solve them,
and noted that the event goes beyond celebrating startups.
He explained that its central
purpose is to bring together problem owners, technology builders, corporate
organisations, potential customers and investors to create partnerships that
can turn ideas into viable businesses.
“The goal is not to be in
love with your technology, but to be in love with the problem you are solving.
It’s about how your solutions can help millions of Nigerians improve their
productivity and national prosperity,’’ adding that technology development
alone does not guarantee commercial success.
Abdullahi revealed that
NITDA’s research indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerian adults wanted access to
telemedicine, but only 19 per cent had ever used the service, adding that more
than 40 per cent of Nigeria’s population were farmers, while small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for the overwhelming majority of
businesses in the country, continue to face difficulties accessing bank credit.
He challenged startups to
develop digital solutions that could improve agricultural productivity and help
SMEs maintain proper financial records, demonstrate business performance and
build the transparency banks need to extend credit.
The NITDA boss further
emphasised that access to technology must translate into actual adoption and
measurable improvements in productivity, arguing that having a mobile phone or
access to digital services means little if people cannot use them to save time,
reduce costs, improve their businesses and increase their incomes.
He urged founders to build
solutions that can deliver significant productivity gains, create wealth and
contribute to national prosperity, while developing products with the potential
to compete in international markets.
Abdullahi disclosed that more
than 1,388 startups applied to participate in the Builders Festival, but only
about 30 were selected. He congratulated the successful participants and urged
them to measure their success by the number of lives and businesses their
innovations can improve.
He added that the country
needs platforms that bring problem owners and problem solvers together,
supported by the right institutional environment, to accelerate technology
adoption, expand opportunities and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Builders Festival is the
product of a strategic partnership between NITDA and Tech Revolution Africa to
create a platform where Nigerian innovators can move beyond developing
technology for its own sake and focus on creating practical solutions to the
country’s pressing challenges.
Through the partnership, both
organisations aim to strengthen connections between startups, investors,
corporate organisations and institutions with real problems that require
technology-driven solutions.
The Builders Festival will
encourage collaboration, attract investment, promote the adoption of homegrown
solutions and support the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
FacebookShare on XLinkedInWhatsAppEmail
Tags:DNICE 2026Builders FestivalNITDA Builders Festival
P
Peter Oluka
Editorial team member & technology reporter at Techeconomy.
View all articles by Peter Oluka →
Previous Post
