Nationwide AI and Blockchain research center to be established in Nigeria
In a significant move towards technological advancement, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced its support for Nigerian startups developing products on emerging technologies, including blockchain. This announcement was made by Aristotle Onumo, NITDA's director of corporate planning and strategy, during the IoT West Africa Conference on July 2.
Onumo highlighted that NITDA's research focus areas encompass IoT, blockchain technology, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), additive manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and robotics. This commitment aligns with the agency's role in promoting infrastructure development and governance frameworks favourable to these technologies.
Nigeria has already established a National Blockchain Policy framework and is actively exploring the use of tokenization for government services. This strategic government support for blockchain adoption is further bolstered by the Investments and Securities Act (ISA 2025), which clarifies the regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies, treating them as securities and placing digital asset oversight under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
However, the roadmap for implementing Nigeria’s National Blockchain Policy is not fully disclosed. Challenges remain, such as infrastructure limitations like slow internet and lack of advanced technology, which Nigeria will need to address for broad blockchain adoption, particularly in critical sectors like the judiciary. Effective implementation will require collaboration between legislators, legal professionals, and technologists to enact supporting laws recognizing blockchain evidence and usage standards.
The NITDA's role is to support blockchain development through policy implementation, infrastructure support, and regulatory alignment. While specific programs were not detailed in the search results, NITDA is typically central in Nigeria’s IT policy implementation and would logically be involved in facilitating blockchain ecosystem development, supporting regulatory compliance and innovation, and collaborating with agencies such as SEC and EFCC on oversight coordination.
In addition to blockchain, NITDA also plans to establish research hubs for emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and blockchain across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. The agency is also actively nurturing talent by supporting the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program initiated by the federal government, aiming to have three million skilled Nigerians by 2027.
President Bola Tinubu, in his pre-election manifesto, promised to integrate blockchain into various sectors of the Nigerian economy. However, the specifics of how he plans to transform this policy into tangible, productive endeavours are yet to be detailed.
In summary, Nigeria has a National Blockchain Policy framework in place and is exploring blockchain use cases like tokenization in government services. Regulatory clarity was enhanced in 2025 by the ISA 2025, providing licensing and oversight rules for crypto assets under the SEC. The NITDA's role is to support blockchain development through policy implementation, infrastructure support, and regulatory alignment. For more granular details on NITDA’s current blockchain projects or the National Blockchain Policy roadmap, direct sources from NITDA or the Nigerian government websites would be the next best references.
- In line with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)'s focus on emerging technologies, the agency has announced its support for Nigerian startups working on blockchain technology.
- As the roadmap for Nigeria's National Blockchain Policy is not fully disclosed, effective implementation will necessitate collaboration between legislators, legal professionals, and technologists.
- Recognizing the potential of blockchain in various sectors, President Bola Tinubu has pledged to integrate it into the Nigerian economy, yet the specifics of this transformation are yet to be detailed.
- In addition to supporting blockchain development, NITDA is also establishing research hubs for AI, IoT, and blockchain across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
- The Investments and Securities Act (ISA 2025) has clarified the regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, treating them as securities and placing digital asset oversight under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
