Nigerians say they want digital services. Far fewer actually use them. That gap sits at the center of a new effort by NITDA Nigeria and the SATH Foundation to ground tech investment in evidence instead of hunches.
A big gap between interest and use
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), shared the numbers at the Nigeria Tech Outlook event in Lagos. In a survey of more than 2,000 Nigerians, over 80% said they’d be willing to use telemedicine, yet fewer than 20% had ever done so.
For investors and innovators, that’s a signal. Demand exists, and what’s missing is solutions that reach people. Inuwa stressed that Nigeria’s tech potential can’t be fully realized without reliable digital infrastructure, strategic investment and policies informed by evidence.
More than celebrating success stories
He argued that talent, ideas and entrepreneurial wins aren’t enough on their own to ensure global competitiveness. The country, in his view, has to move past celebrating individual successes and build the infrastructure, policy setting and investment partnerships that turn innovation into wider economic gains. For readers following technology news updates, it’s a message that keeps coming back across Nigeria’s tech debate.
What the Nigeria Tech Outlook will cover
The survey findings are expected to feed into the Nigeria Tech Outlook, developed by NITDA with the SATH Foundation to assess technology access, adoption and its contribution to productivity across the economy.
The first edition will focus on five sectors:
- financial services
- telecommunications
- commerce and trade
- government services
- healthcare
It will also look at emerging technologies such as AI and autonomous systems, along with cybersecurity, digital trust and governance, data privacy, cloud computing and digital infrastructure.
Why evidence-based investment matters
Inuwa says the report is meant to show stakeholders where technology is being adopted, where barriers remain and where investment could bring measurable economic and social benefits. That is the heart of evidence-based investment: using data to decide where money, policy and effort do the most good. For founders and companies, it also offers a map of where unmet demand sits. Anyone watching digital companies in Nigeria will want to see what the first edition reveals.
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