Kasitda

The Director General of NITDA, @KashifuInuwa, delivered a strong and forward-looking address at the Kano Startup Weekend, calling on innovators and entrepreneurs to rethink how economic success is built in the 21st century. He drew attention to Kano’s long-standing position as the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria and the Sahel, noting that while the state’s success was historically driven by trade, geography and human capital, today’s economy is powered by innovation. According to him, innovation is not just about invention but about taking ideas from inception to impact through commercialisation, solving real problems and creating sustainable value. The DG stressed that innovation cannot thrive in isolation, emphasising the need for a strong ecosystem that connects academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and government. He pointed out that despite Kano’s numerous higher institutions and large market, weak collaboration between research institutions and industry has limited growth and scale. He highlighted NITDA’s ongoing commitment to building innovation capacity through national programmes such as Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL), which is equipping Nigerians with essential digital skills, and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) initiative, designed to produce globally competitive technical professionals. He explained that these interventions align with President @officialABAT’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places digital skills, innovation and inclusive growth at the centre of national development. Inuwa challenged startups to move beyond the traditional SME mindset and build innovation-driven enterprises that can start locally but scale globally, noting that with the right skills, collaboration and use of technology, Kano can reclaim its leadership role and compete with the leading innovation hubs in the country and beyond. @KashifuInuwa @kasitda