Bridging Policy & Innovation: Nigeria Startup Consultative Forum
Nigeria’s digital economy is bursting with energy, from young founders building products out of co-working hubs to investors betting on the next wave of innovation. But one thing has always stood in the way of progress: the gap between policy and innovation. The Nigeria Startup Consultative Forum aims to close that gap by creating a direct bridge between government policymakers, investors, and the innovators shaping the country’s tech future.
The Nigeria Startup Act 2022 was created to fix that. It provides incentives, structures, and programmes to help Nigerian startups grow, create value, and compete globally. More importantly, it established new governance structures, including the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NCDIE) and the Startup Consultative Forum, which brings together founders, investors, and policymakers to shape how the Act is implemented.
What the Consultative Forum Is All About
The Startup Consultative Forum is not another bureaucratic committee. It’s a bridge, a formal mechanism where ecosystem players like founders, venture capitalists, accelerators, and regulators come together to engage, propose ideas, and critique policy.
Instead of having government agencies act in isolation, the Forum gives startups a structured voice in how national digital policies are designed and executed. Its goal is simple: ensure that policy decisions reflect real startup experiences, the pain points, opportunities, and roadblocks faced daily by innovators.
The Forum operates under the supervision of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which serves as the Secretariat of the Council. Through this structure, the Forum is directly plugged into national decision-making.
Earlier in 2025, NITDA launched the first national Startup Consultative Forum, bringing together hundreds of stakeholders from across the country, founders, investors, development partners, and public officials. From that pool, representatives were later elected to sit on the National Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship. They include ecosystem leaders like Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (Southwest), Charles Emembolu (Southeast), Abba Gamawa (Northeast), and Victoria Manya (North-Central), each serving a two-year term.
This setup ensures that decisions about startup incentives, funding, and regulatory harmonization include real insights from people building and scaling companies, not just policymakers behind closed doors.
Why It Matters for Startups
The Consultative Forum could be a game-changer for Nigerian founders, especially those in early or growth stages.
For one, it makes policy more responsive. Many startup challenges, such as tax confusion, overlapping licenses, and outdated regulations, can now be raised through an official channel. Instead of lobbying individually or relying on personal networks, startups can collaborate within the Forum to table structured, data-backed proposals that reach the highest decision-making body.
It also offers direct representation at the national level. For the first time, ecosystem voices are not just heard in side events or Twitter Spaces; they’re part of formal national policy discussions. This makes startup regulation more predictable and transparent, two qualities every founder and investor wants.
Another key advantage is ecosystem coordination. The Forum can align donor programmes, government initiatives, and investor interests, ensuring efforts aren’t duplicated. Regional representation also means challenges from all corners of the country, whether in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, or Jos, are considered equally.
And then there’s signaling power. The existence of such a participatory platform tells global investors that Nigeria’s tech space is maturing, that it’s serious about governance, inclusion, and long-term stability.
The Challenges Ahead
Still, good ideas often struggle with execution. The Forum must avoid becoming a talking shop. To work, it needs real influence, transparency, and accountability.
Some risks include tokenism (where meetings happen but decisions aren’t implemented), regional imbalance (favoring certain zones), and limited awareness among smaller startups. Success will depend on consistent communication, fair representation, and strong collaboration between NITDA, the Council, and private stakeholders.
If properly managed, the Forum could set a new model for how African governments engage with their startup ecosystems, participatory, data-driven, and responsive.
Why Founders Should Care
If you’re a founder, this isn’t something to watch from afar. The Forum’s impact will depend on participation. Founders should:
- Register and get labeled through the official Startup Portal.
- Stay engaged with local or regional consultative sessions.
- Document challenges and propose solutions collectively with peers.
- Push for transparency in how funds, incentives, and programs are rolled out.
- Build coalitions, a single founder’s voice can be ignored, but collective data-driven advocacy can’t.
The Nigeria Startup Act wasn’t meant to be a one-off piece of legislation. It’s designed as a living framework that evolves with the ecosystem. The Consultative Forum is the feedback engine that keeps it alive.
If it succeeds, startups will no longer be passive recipients of policy. They’ll be co-creators, helping to design the very environment in which they operate. That’s not just progress for Nigeria’s tech scene; it’s a blueprint for how innovation and governance can finally work hand in hand.