Nigeria is well placed to be West Africa’s tech hub

YESH SURJOODEEN

Nigeria’s burgeoning tech-savviness and entrepreneurial spirit uniquely positions it to pioneer an IT-driven economy across various sectors. The digital economy, defined by infrastructure built around computing technologies, solutions and platforms, is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of modern economic development. With the right investment in training and technology, Nigeria can emulate and perhaps surpass the success seen in other tech hubs like Kenya, often dubbed the Silicon Savannah.

With its huge population of over 230 million and a culture deeply rooted in determination and resilience, the country is well positioned to be the West African tech hub. The technology landscape of Nigeria features a plethora of thriving start-ups, tech development and innovation centres that showcase a rapidly growing industry. Quite significantly, most of these start-ups and tech hubs are located in Lagos, the only African city ranked in the Global Top 100 Start-up Ecosystems by Startup Link in 2024.The city is also home to five of the seven tech unicorns in Africa, evidenced by companies, such as HP, who are committed to advancing digital equity and driving the economy forward using technology.

Significantly, the Nigerian tech industry has contributed to the country’s economic growth in terms of innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation and the overall GDP. Currently, efforts are being made by governments at the federal and state levels to encourage skills acquisition using digital platforms, aimed at further enhancing an economy that is technologically driven. It is gratifying to note that despite the inclement economic climate in the country, there is a growing number of tech companies that are regularly innovating to be able to deliver quality services using cutting edge technology in a country that is getting more and more sophisticated in demands. We see digital innovations in areas such as commerce, agriculture, education, health, finance, banking, insurance, and payment systems. Service providers are using digital platforms to deliver services in these sectors in a manner that was previously considered far-fetched.

The National Digital Economy Bill currently before the National Assembly aims to thrust the economy towards digital transactions and service delivery, alongside enhancing governance. The bill could be the impetus that is needed to bring about a rapid, digital transformation of Nigeria’s economic landscape.

In my view, the bill is going to be the game changer that would positively impact Nigeria’s digital eco-system by encouraging local innovation and greater participation in all sectors of the Nigerian economy, and lifestyles in general. The bill has the potential to foster an environment that enables participation from the public, ultimately shaping the future of Nigeria’s economy, through a plethora of digital opportunities.

How the technology industry can support
Nigerian technology companies need to amplify their innovation by investing more in research to be able to compete in a world that is getting digitally dynamic by the day. What’s more, the country’s youth are poised to drive the highly anticipated economic growth using technology and are the key to unlocking Nigeria’s digitally driven future.

HP’s wide range of products and services has positioned it as one of the leading IT solutions providers in Africa. In the last two decades, the company has been at the forefront of driving what is expected to be a digital revolution not just in Nigeria, but throughout the African continent. This is demonstrated through various initiatives that are designed to educate and digitally empower the youth, equip small business owners with ‘skills of the future’ and simplify governance processes with the overall objective of transforming lives.

Two of such initiatives are the HP Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurship (HP LIFE) and the recent partnership between HP and the Nigerian Esports Federation, which is affiliated with the Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development. This collaboration aims to foster digital and esports skills among the burgeoning cadre of gamers and esports enthusiasts in the country. Nigeria holds the status as the most populous country in Africa and the nation with the highest GDP, is driving its digital mandate forward, and HP is at the forefront of what is expected to be a digital revolution not just in Nigeria but throughout the African continent

These programs are part of a larger strategy aimed at fostering entrepreneurial learning across the continent. They are in line with the position of the AU and World Bank, which agree on the need for the youth of Africa to be empowered with digital skills, as well as easy accessibility to technology to be able to thrive in a rapidly changing technological world.

In July 2023, 25 policy makers and leaders of EdTech organizations participated in a remote, seven-month program called the HP Cambridge Fellowship, designed by HP in partnership with Cambridge University, that was designed to empower them to build coalitions for change on the African continent. The objective was to help improve digital learning for 120 million children in 11 African countries including, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Eswatini and South Africa. The program included a four-day residential module at the University of Cambridge and covers the following key components:

1. EdTech, Policy, and leadership training which covers a wide range of topics from EdTech learning models and digital transformation policies to leadership development. It integrates face-to-face masterclasses, collaborative workshops, and online courses with inputs from leaders across various sectors.

2. Participants engage in design thinking processes to create and implement EdTech solutions, with a focus on equitable and scalable educational improvements.

3. The program facilitates the building of a global network of peers in similar roles, which helps in sharing best practices and accelerating digital transformation efforts in their respective countries.

4. Individualized coaching sessions are provided to enhance the leadership capabilities of the participants, enabling them to effectively drive change across their organizations and sectors.

5. key feature of the program is a residency week at Cambridge, where participants get to directly engage with experts and peers to deepen their understanding and refine their strategies.

In the coming years, HP plans to continue leveraging this leading position to help expand Africa’s frontiers for greater participation in the world economy, by empowering the youth with skills of the future, technological innovations that enable SMBs to capitalize on opportunities, aimed at driving the continent’s digital transformation.

YESH SURJOODEEN is the Southern Africa MD at HP