The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has secured a JPY 1.6 billion (USD 12.1 million) grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a startup hub in Abuja.
The partnership was formalized as a strategic collaboration with the Japanese agency on Thursday, according to a statement from NITDA.
The signing ceremony, held at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja, marks a significant milestone in Japan–Nigeria relations, highlighting their commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation.
NITDA revealed that the startup hub project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at repositioning Nigeria as a leader in the digital economy in Africa.
With a focus on job creation, private sector investment, and inclusive growth, this initiative aims to nurture the next generation of tech entrepreneurs.
Spanning five years and eight months, from April 2025 to December 2030, NITDA will collaborate with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to implement the Abuja startup hub.
This hub is set to be a key element in Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem, supporting its goals of becoming a regional leader in digital technology and entrepreneurship.
The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, emphasized the success of the partnership with JICA through the iHatch initiative, a co-designed idea incubation program.
“We have been collaborating with them on several initiatives, like iHatch. The pilot we ran resulted in the creation of over 117 direct jobs and more than 370 indirect jobs. Now, we are working together to expand it to all 36 states and the FCT.
“The initiative provides Nigerian startups with six months of incubation, leveraging JICA’s expertise and resources to develop market-ready products.”
