NITDA inaugurates regulatory working group to boost innovation ecosystem

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated a Technical Working Group for the National Regulatory Sandbox as part of efforts to strengthen coordination within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa said the initiative was designed to address regulatory bottlenecks slowing innovation and digital growth across the country.

Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, Inuwa said existing regulatory frameworks were struggling to keep pace with emerging technologies, while overlapping mandates among regulators often created delays for innovators and startups.

According to him, the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy has exposed gaps in regulation, making it difficult for new technologies and services to scale efficiently.

He explained that the multi-agency sandbox framework would encourage collaboration among regulators, allowing them to better understand each other’s roles while creating an environment that supports innovation without weakening oversight.

“Nobody is taking away anybody’s regulatory power, but we are giving innovation a chance to thrive within the ecosystem,” he said.

Inuwa noted that the sandbox model would provide a supervised environment where innovators can safely test products and services before obtaining full regulatory approval.

He added that the Technical Working Group would provide governance, advisory and validation support for innovations emerging from the ecosystem.

“We are not launching just a document. We are building a governance structure and system that will impact innovation in Nigeria beyond the implementation phase,” he said.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the federal government to deepen Nigeria’s digital economy and improve collaboration between regulators, startups and technology stakeholders.

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