The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) have partnered to join Nigerian expertise startups with private sector buyers, corporate patrons and business alternatives.
The partnership is designed to bridge the hole between expertise improvement and market demand by leveraging NACCIMA’s community of greater than 120 metropolis, state and bilateral chambers, alongside industrial conglomerates, to assist funding in native expertise ventures.
The two organisations introduced the collaboration on Monday, October 19, 2026, following the execution of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the alignment of a joint technical working group to coordinate implementation.
Under the association, NACCIMA will function a private sector investor pipeline and business off-taker facilitator for NITDA-backed startups, expertise ventures and enterprise financing initiatives.
NITDA, NACCIMA goal funding deals at DNICE 2026
One of the quick priorities is private sector mobilisation for the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE) 2026, scheduled to maintain in Abuja from November 10 to 12.
NACCIMA will organise business-to-business (B2B) deal rooms, mobilise corporate buyers and enterprise capital corporations, take part in startup analysis panels and join indigenous expertise startups with potential corporate patrons.
The focused sectors embody manufacturing, agribusiness, logistics and providers, the place expertise adoption might enhance productiveness and increase market entry.
NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, mentioned the partnership would assist native innovators transfer past growing expertise options to securing business contracts and attracting funding.
- “Combining government policy leadership with the active commercial demand of the organised private sector creates an unprecedented growth engine for Nigeria’s digital ecosystem,” Abdullahi mentioned.
He added that the association would give indigenous startups and expertise innovators extra direct entry to corporate patrons, home capital and sustainable business contracts.
10,000 MSMEs to profit from AI adoption programme
The partnership additionally features a nationwide programme focusing on 10,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) throughout Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
- The initiative will present collaborating companies with sensible synthetic intelligence (AI) instruments, digital abilities, monetary readiness constructions and market entry alternatives.
- The programme is meant to strengthen the capability of small companies to undertake digital applied sciences and enhance their competitiveness, whereas creating alternatives for expertise suppliers to provide options to enterprises throughout completely different sectors.
NACCIMA National President, Jani Ibrahim, mentioned the alliance would place Nigerian commerce and business to profit from expertise adoption.
- “NACCIMA is committed to serving as the primary off-taker and investor pipeline for NITDA-supported startups,” Ibrahim mentioned.
He added that connecting agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and mining with digital options and technical expertise from the three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme would assist enhance enterprise productiveness and assist a extra resilient economic system.
Partnership to introduce digital belief mark
Another element of the collaboration is the deliberate launch of a digital belief mark platform to onboard verified companies and strengthen compliance with information safety and cybersecurity necessities.
The platform is predicted to promote adherence to the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, enhance cybersecurity readiness and strengthen digital belief amongst companies working throughout regional commerce corridors.
The initiative can be anticipated to assist companies looking for to take part in cross-border commerce underneath the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the place confidence in digital transactions and the safety of enterprise information are necessary to business exercise.
NITDA seeks implementation of Nigeria Startup Act
The partnership with NACCIMA comes amid NITDA’s push for the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act, which seeks to deal with the challenges confronting the nation’s startups, together with funding.
In August this 12 months, NITDA had called for coordination among 15 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to fully implement the incentives provided under the Act.
- NITDA mentioned efficient implementation of the laws would require authorities establishments throughout completely different sectors to work collectively to make sure that startups and buyers can entry the incentives and different advantages supplied underneath the legislation, which was signed 4 years in the past.
- While the involved MDAs weren’t talked about, the company referenced the tax incentives provision of the Act, which falls inside the purview of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
- The late former President Buhari signed the Nigeria Startup Bill 2022 into law on October 19 2022 to put an finish to the authorized uncertainties that had trailed the startup business previously.
However, 4 years after, the Act stays on the pre-implementation stage, with a number of incentives supplied underneath the legislation nonetheless elusive to Nigerian startups.
