Nigeria’s digital future in focus as Lagos hosts ICT commissioners at GITEX Africa
Lagos State played host to ICT stakeholders recently, when Commissioners for Innovation, Science and Technology and senior state delegates gathered during GITEX in Lagos for the ICT Commissioners Roundtable.
Conceived as a national platform to align sub-national digital priorities with federal strategy, strengthen inter-state collaboration and accelerate the drive toward a digital economy that is inclusive and locally-led, the roundtable boasted attendance from key stakeholders across states in the country.
The Lagos Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Olatunbosun Alake highlighted Lagos’s sustained investment in digital infrastructure, talent development and regulatory reform, saying Lagos must lead by example so that states across the federation can adapt and scale what works. He also outlined the state’s recent programmes and reiterated its willingness to support inter-state exchange programmes and technical partnerships.
In his closing address, Senator Shuaib advised participants to link ICT initiatives closely to each state’s broader development priorities to ensure political buy-in and sustainable funding.
He called for stronger cross-ministry collaboration, pointing out that the success of ICT initiatives is often dependent on synergy with education, health and finance ministries, and flagged that new ICT bills are being developed in the National Assembly to strengthen legal and policy frameworks for innovation and cybersecurity.
He also emphasized the need for national coherence so that state efforts can integrate seamlessly into the national digital architecture.
Also speaking at the occasion, Enugu’s Commissioner, Ezeh, updated the roundtable about Enugu’s smart-schools and smart-city ambitions and referenced the success of Enugu Tech Festival held earlier in the year as a vehicle for talent discovery and industry partnerships. Cross River’s Justin gave an update on that state’s science & technology initiatives while reinforcing the need for linkages between state innovation programmes and private sector capacity.
Other states reported concrete steps toward operationalizing local digital strategies.
While states are clearly moving forward, the roundtable surfaced recurring obstacles. Delegates cited insufficient inter-state collaboration and limited alignment with federal priorities as barriers to scaling successful programmes. Funding gaps, bureaucratic delays and the challenge of recruiting and retaining skilled digital talent were consistently raised. Participants agreed that formalized exchange programmes, joint projects and routine peer reviews could help close those gaps and accelerate implementation across the federation.
The roundtable also recognized the private sector and development partners as important enablers. While international tech firms were invited to share insights, particularly around opportunities in open-source AI and developer ecosystems, the commissioners were clear the forum’s mandate is to priorities Nigerian state ownership and homegrown solutions.
