Nigeria is pushing closer cooperation between government agencies and startups to unlock new growth in its digital and space economy, as the country plans new satellites and expands broadband infrastructure to support innovation and economic development.
Nigeria is increasingly looking to space technology and digital startups as new engines of growth, especially as connectivity, cloud services and data-driven industries expand across Africa. Officials say emerging space-related services, including satellite connectivity and related digital platforms, could contribute more than $1.5 billion to Nigeria’s economy by 2030.
Kashifu Inuwa, the director general of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), who disclosed this at the Nigerian Satellite Week 2026 in Abuja, said collaboration across the public and private sectors will determine whether Nigeria can translate digital ideas into real economic gains.
“Innovation without adoption is wasted,” Inuwa said, urging government institutions to help startups scale through supportive policies, infrastructure and partnerships rather than heavy control of the ecosystem.
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Inuwa said startups are now driving innovation in areas such as telecommunications, navigation, security and cloud computing, fields that were once dominated by major global powers. But he noted that progress depends on building networks, nurturing talent and focusing on practical solutions that can scale across sectors like agriculture and finance.
His remarks reflect a broader policy shift in Nigeria toward developmental regulation, where government focuses on creating markets and enabling ecosystems rather than acting only as a regulator.
At the same event, Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said satellite infrastructure will play a central role in the country’s digital future. He disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the acquisition of two new satellites, NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B, to strengthen the country’s space capacity.
Tijani said the goal is not just building infrastructure but applying it to real economic sectors. “What truly matters is how we leverage this technology to improve agriculture, education, security and business operations,” he said.
Nigeria is also expanding its digital backbone through plans to deploy about 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables and nearly 4,000 telecom towers in underserved communities. Officials say the expansion, combined with new satellites, could improve connectivity across parts of West and Central Africa including Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Benin.
The government is also trying to stimulate innovation through policy and funding initiatives such as the Digital Start-Up Act and research investments under Project Bridge, which includes a N12 billion fund aimed at supporting academic and technology research nationwide.
Industry players say these efforts could help Nigeria position itself as a regional digital hub, but execution will be critical, particularly in connecting startups with financing, infrastructure and global markets.
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Meanwhile, Jane Nkechi Egerton-Ideyen, the managing director of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, said Nigeria’s space programme is entering a more commercially focused phase.
According to her, reforms and new partnerships have helped grow the agency’s revenue significantly between 2023 and 2025, driven largely by rising demand for satellite broadband across Africa. She added that more than 500 young Nigerians were trained in satellite technology in the past year, while over 50 startups benefited from the agency’s accelerator programme.
Nigeria’s strategy signals a shift from prestige-driven space projects toward using satellites to solve practical challenges such as rural connectivity, digital inclusion and enterprise growth, areas seen as key to sustaining the country’s digital economy ambitions.
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