NITDA Partners NACCIMA to Unlock Private Investment for Nigerian Startups

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) have partnered to connect Nigerian technology startups with private sector investors, corporate buyers and commercial opportunities.

The collaboration, announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, follows the execution of a memorandum of understanding and the alignment of a joint technical working group to coordinate implementation. It is designed to bridge the gap between technology development and market demand using NACCIMA's network of more than 120 city, state and bilateral chambers, alongside industrial conglomerates.

Off-takers as well as investors

Under the arrangement, NACCIMA will serve as a private sector investor pipeline and commercial off-taker facilitator for NITDA-backed startups, technology ventures and enterprise financing initiatives. That dual mandate matters: startups in Nigeria often struggle less with building products than with finding institutional buyers willing to pay for them.

NACCIMA National President Jani Ibrahim said the alliance would position Nigerian commerce and industry to benefit from technology adoption, and that connecting agriculture, manufacturing, trade and mining with digital solutions and technical talent from the 3 Million Technical Talent programme would improve enterprise productivity.

Compliance, trust and AfCFTA

The partnership is expected to promote adherence to the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, improve cybersecurity readiness and strengthen digital trust among businesses operating across regional trade corridors. Those standards are prerequisites for cross-border commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area, where confidence in digital transactions and data protection shapes commercial activity.

NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said the partnership would help local innovators move beyond developing technology solutions to securing commercial contracts and attracting investment — a framing that puts revenue ahead of demos.

DNICE 2026 as the first test

NACCIMA will lead private-sector mobilisation for DNICE 2026, scheduled in Abuja from 10 to 12 November. A joint technical working group is finalising enterprise pipelines, deal-room structures and launch modalities ahead of a formal unveiling at that event.

The measurable test in the months ahead will be simple: how many startups secure paying corporate customers or investment through the channel, not how many memoranda are signed.