The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to digital trade transformation, stating that emerging technologies hold the key to unlocking the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking through the agency’s Director of Digital Economy Development, Engr. Salisu Kaka, during the 2025 Nigeria AfCFTA Hackathon in Lagos, the DG delivered a compelling keynote address at the ongoing Science of Trade Conference.
Held under the theme “Empowering Youths for Africa’s Future Trade,” the event brings together a broad coalition of innovators, tech entrepreneurs, and policymakers across Africa, all united in exploring how technology can dismantle trade barriers and strengthen cross-border commerce under the AfCFTA framework.
Kashifu Inuwa stressed that digital innovation is central to achieving an inclusive and sustainable economic future for the continent. According to him, “Technology is not only a tool for trade facilitation, but also a catalyst for inclusivity and long-term growth. Nigeria must be at the forefront of leveraging these innovations to create a truly integrated African economy.”
The DG noted that initiatives such as the hackathon serve as critical platforms for harnessing the creativity of young Africans to develop homegrown, scalable solutions to continental trade challenges. He added that the outcomes of the event would complement national efforts to deepen Nigeria’s leadership role in digital trade ecosystems.
The Nigeria AfCFTA Hackathon is structured to produce practical technology-driven ideas that will bridge trade gaps, simplify logistics, enhance access to market data, and improve cross-border payment systems—key pain points currently hindering Africa’s intra-regional commerce.
Participants at the event praised NITDA’s proactive involvement, noting that the agency’s continuous investment in digital skill-building, innovation support, and strategic policy formulation is creating fertile ground for a new generation of trade-focused tech solutions.
With over 40 African countries signed onto the AfCFTA agreement, Africa now stands as the world’s largest single market bloc by number of participating nations. Experts agree that leveraging technology is no longer optional but critical to realizing the bloc’s ambitious goal of boosting intra-African trade by 52.3% within the next few years.
As the Science of Trade Conference continues in Lagos, attention remains fixed on the ideas and innovations emerging from this hackathon ideas that could shape the future of commerce on the continent.
