Nigeria launches GITEX to boost digital economy

Nigeria has officially launched its own edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), positioning itself as Africa’s rising hub for digital innovation and global investment.

The event, inaugurated this week in Abuja and Lagos, marks a new chapter in the country’s digital transformation journey.

Speaking at the opening, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, unveiled government projections that the digital economy’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will reach 21 percent by 2027, up from its current 16–18 percent.

“The ICT sector has grown from less than 5 percent of GDP a decade ago to consistently contributing nearly one-fifth today. By 2027, our target is 21 percent, and we are right on track. This is not just about apps, it’s about productivity gains transforming agriculture, governance, and every sector of our economy”, Tijani said.

He highlighted key initiatives driving the vision, including Project BRIDGE, a 90,000-kilometre fiber backbone to connect every community in Nigeria, and the 3MTT digital skills program, which he described as the largest coordinated tech training initiative in the world.

The government, he added, is also preparing landmark legislation, the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bills, to guarantee trust, security, and accountability.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, addressing participants at GITEX Nigeria, revealed that the state had attracted over $6 billion in foreign investment into its tech startup sector between 2019 and 2024.

He declared Lagos Africa’s innovation capital, noting that over 70 percent of Nigeria’s tech inflows and unicorns pass through the city.

“We’re not just an economic powerhouse; we are building a government where policy decisions respond to real-time insights, and no citizen is left behind,” Sanwo-Olu said, citing Lagos’ digital governance platform and innovations like the Cowry Card, a unified payment system designed by young Nigerians.

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, described the debut of GITEX Nigeria as a bold declaration of the country’s readiness to lead the global digital economy.

He pointed to Nigeria’s resilience-driven innovation as the engine behind Africa’s top five unicorns emerging from Lagos.

International recognition also came from Ms. Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre, who described Nigeria as a global beacon of innovation. She noted that over 650 startups and 200 investors from more than 40 countries were participating in the event.

“Lagos is not just a city, it is a mega testbed for technology. If your product survives Lagos, it can thrive anywhere in the world,” LohMirmand said.

The conference, which continues this week, is drawing global tech giants including Cisco, IBM, and MTN, alongside thousands of African startups. It has been hailed not just as a milestone but as a movement signaling Nigeria’s intent to lead Africa’s digital future.

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