By Muhammad Sal
In a significant step toward operationalizing the Nigeria Startup Act, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has appointed four prominent startup ecosystem leaders to the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NCDIE).
The appointments, announced on October 5, 2025, aim to ensure that founders and innovators have a direct voice in shaping Nigeria’s startup policies and digital innovation landscape.
The named representatives are Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave and founding partner at Future Africa; Victoria Ojoagefu Manya, executive director of Advocacy for Policy and Innovation; Charles Uchenna Emembolu, founder of TechQuest; and Abba Ibrahim Gamawa, founder of Go Agent Limited.
They were elected through the Startup Consultative Forum (SCF) and will serve two-year terms on the council, charged with contributing to policy formulation and monitoring the implementation of the Startup Act’s objectives.
The Nigeria Startup Act, signed into law in October 2022, provides a legal and institutional framework to drive the growth of tech startups, promote investment, reduce regulatory burdens, and foster capacity building and innovation.
The formation of the NCDIE and inclusion of startup leaders on the council mark critical milestones in bringing Nigeria’s fast-growing tech ecosystem into policy and regulatory alignment. According to NITDA, the council’s work will help guarantee that innovation efforts translate into meaningful social and economic impacts nationwide.
“The four representatives will ensure that ecosystem voices are heard directly in national policymaking,” NITDA said. “This progress underlines the agency’s commitment to enhanced collaboration among government, private sector, academia, and stakeholders to build a brighter digital future.”
The appointments come as the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), under NITDA, reports progress on startup labelling – with 75 startups registered on the government portal – and the establishment of a $40 million Startup Investment Seed Fund to bridge funding gaps.
The fund has secured $20 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority expected to match the remaining amount.
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