By 
​By Elisha Chebwawaza Gideon
Technology leaders, policymakers and academics advocate stronger collaboration among government, universities and industry to accelerate innovation, startup growth and Nigeria’s digital economic renaissance.
Nigeria Computer Society Unites Industry, Academia to Turn Innovation into Economic Growth
Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading digital economy received renewed momentum as hundreds of technology leaders, academics, policymakers and innovators converged in Jos for the 20th International Conference of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), where experts identified the country’s persistent research-to-commercialisation gap as one of the biggest obstacles to technological and economic growth.
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Held under the theme “Harnessing Digital Innovation and Emerging Technologies for Inclusive Growth and Economic Renaissance (RISE 2026),” the three-day conference focused on transforming research into commercially viable products, strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, promoting artificial intelligence, advancing indigenous technology development and creating practical policy frameworks capable of driving sustainable national development.
Beyond discussions on emerging technologies, the conference reinforced the growing consensus that Nigeria’s digital future will depend less on producing research papers and more on converting innovation into scalable businesses, jobs and globally competitive technologies.
Technology Positioned as a Driver of Economic Renaissance
Opening the conference, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang commended the Nigeria Computer Society for two decades of promoting professionalism, technological excellence and digital capacity development.
He challenged technology professionals to move beyond theoretical innovation by developing practical digital solutions capable of addressing economic and developmental challenges facing Nigeria.
According to the governor, technology must become a strategic instrument for economic transformation, improved public services and inclusive national development.
Digital Innovation Must Be Inclusive
President of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Professor Muhammad Surajo Aliyu, stressed that technological advancement must benefit every segment of society regardless of economic background.
He urged participants to ensure that digital innovation remains accessible to underserved communities while expanding opportunities for education, entrepreneurship and skills development.
“Innovation must be inclusive regardless of socioeconomic status,” Prof. Aliyu said.
He further encouraged delegates to use the conference as a platform for building lasting partnerships capable of producing measurable economic outcomes rather than limiting engagements to networking activities.
Bridging Nigeria’s Research-to-Market Disconnect
One of the dominant themes throughout the conference was Nigeria’s longstanding inability to commercialise research generated by universities and research institutions.
Industry stakeholders argued that thousands of innovative student projects and academic discoveries remain confined to university archives because of weak collaboration between academia and industry.
Speaking with IT Edge News.Africa, Chief Executive Officer of nHub, Theodore Longji, described the disconnect as one of Nigeria’s greatest innovation losses.
According to him, universities have traditionally operated independently of industry, limiting opportunities to transform academic research into commercially successful products.
He advocated a stronger innovation ecosystem where universities serve as research incubators while technology hubs and private sector organisations provide mentorship, product development support, market validation and commercialisation expertise.
Such collaboration, he noted, would enable promising innovations to reach the marketplace instead of remaining unpublished academic work.
Triple Helix Model Offers Roadmap for Innovation
Chairman of the Conference Committee and NCS Fellow, Bayo Mohammed Onimode, explained that the Society is deliberately repositioning its annual conference to become an innovation catalyst rather than another knowledge-sharing event.
Central to this strategy is the adoption of the internationally recognised Triple Helix Model, which promotes structured collaboration among:
- Government
- Academia
- Industry
Under the framework, universities generate research and innovation, industry converts discoveries into commercial products, while government provides enabling policies, funding and regulatory support to facilitate market adoption.
Onimode encouraged delegates to establish partnerships capable of producing collaborative projects before the conclusion of the conference.
Startup Ecosystem Needs Stronger Institutional Support
While Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade, experts maintained that structural challenges continue to limit its global competitiveness.
NCS Fellow Dr. Ademola Agboola, whose doctoral research focused on startup failure, observed that Nigerian technology entrepreneurs continue to operate in a significantly under-resourced environment compared to global innovation ecosystems.
He called on government to establish integrated technology and industrial campuses equipped with:
- Reliable electricity
- High-speed broadband connectivity
- Affordable accommodation
- Research facilities
- Business incubation centres
- Innovation financing mechanisms
According to him, such ecosystems—similar to successful technology parks in China and other innovation-driven economies—would provide startups with the infrastructure required to develop globally competitive businesses.
Agboola also advocated targeted grants and affordable financing to improve startup sustainability and increase the emergence of indigenous technology companies capable of generating employment and reducing youth unemployment.
He noted that early market validation alone can improve startup success rates by between 30 and 40 percent.
Emerging Technologies Will Define Africa’s Next Growth Phase
Delivering the keynote address, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, described emerging technologies as the foundation of Africa’s next economic transformation.
He identified Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technologies as critical drivers of future productivity, digital governance and economic competitiveness.
Olatunji also commended the Nigeria Computer Society for sustaining two decades of uninterrupted annual conferences that continue to shape Nigeria’s digital development agenda.
Broad Institutional Support for Digital Transformation
The conference attracted participation from key institutions across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, reflecting growing collaboration in advancing national digital transformation.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of:
- Galaxy Backbone (GBB)
- National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
- National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
- Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN)
- University of Jos
The broad institutional representation reinforced the importance of collaborative governance in building a resilient digital economy.
Implications for Nigeria’s Digital Economy
The deliberations at RISE 2026 carry significant implications for Nigeria’s innovation landscape.
If the recommendations are effectively implemented, they could accelerate:
- Commercialisation of university research
- Growth of indigenous technology companies
- Stronger academia-industry collaboration
- Increased AI adoption across sectors
- Startup financing and investment
- Youth employment through technology entrepreneurship
- Local hardware and software innovation
- Digital skills development
- Technology-driven industrialisation
- Nigeria’s global competitiveness in emerging technologies
Industry experts believe these reforms could significantly improve Nigeria’s capacity to convert intellectual capital into commercial value while positioning the country as a leading innovation hub in Africa.
NCS: Innovation alone is insufficient without commercial execution
As Nigeria continues its digital transformation journey, the consensus emerging from the NCS International Conference is clear: innovation alone is insufficient without commercial execution.
For Africa’s largest economy to fully unlock the opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies, stronger partnerships among universities, industry, government and investors will be essential.
The 20th NCS International Conference has therefore reinforced an important national imperative—moving beyond research for research’s sake towards an innovation ecosystem where ideas become products, startups become global enterprises and technology becomes a catalyst for inclusive economic growth.
