Nigeria has officially launched its own edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), positioning itself as the Ascent of Africa for digital innovation and global investment.
The event, opened this week in Abuja and Lagos, marks a new chapter on the country’s digital transformation trip.
Speaking at the Opening, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, announced the government projections that the contribution of the digital economy to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria will reach 21 percent by 2027, compared to its current 16-18 percent.
“The ICT sector has grown from less than 5 percent of GDP a decade ago to constantly contribute almost a fifth today. By 2027, our goal is 21 percent, and we are right. It is not just about applications, it is about productivity profits that transform agriculture, the government and each sector of our economy,” said Tijani.
He highlighted key initiatives that drive the vision, including Project Bridge, a 90,000 -kilometer fiber spine to connect all communities in Nigeria, and the 3MTT digital skills program, which described as the largest coordinated technological training initiative in the world.
The Government, he added, is also preparing historical legislation, the national digital economy and the Electronic Government Law, to guarantee trust, security and responsibility.
The governor of the state of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Oolu, who addresses the participants in Gitex Nigeria, revealed that the State had attracted more than $ 6 billion in foreign investment in its sector of new technology companies between 2019 and 2024.
He declared the innovation capital of Lagos Africa, noting that more than 70 percent of the technological and unicorns of Nigeria pass through the city.
“We are not just an economic power; we are building a government where political decisions respond to real-time knowledge, and no citizen remains,” said Sanwo-olu, citing the digital governance platform of lakes and innovations such as the Cow card, a unified payment system designed by Nigerian young people.
The general director of the National Agency for Information Technology (NitDA), Kashifu Inuwa, described the debut of Gitex Nigeria as a bold statement of the country’s preparation to lead the global digital economy.
He pointed out the innovation promoted by Nigeria’s resilience as the engine behind the five main Africa unicorns that emerge from Lagos.
International recognition also came from Mrs. Trixie Lohmirmand, executive vice president of the Dubai World Trade Center, who described Nigeria as a global innovation lighthouse. He pointed out that more than 650 new companies and 200 investors from more than 40 countries participated in the event.
“Lagos is not just a city, it is a mega test test for technology. If your product survives lakes, it can prosper anywhere in the world,” Lohmirmand said.
The conference, which continues this week, is drawing global technological giants, including Cisco, IBM and MTN, along with thousands of new African companies. It has been acclaimed not only as a milestone but as a movement that indicates Nigeria’s intention to lead the digital future of Africa.
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