The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have announced the signing of an agreement to pilot BuyNigeria.ng, an e-commerce platform designed to digitize Nigerian markets. The two organizations revealed this development in a joint statement signed by Dr. Dennis Olofu, Head of Media at NCAC, and Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NITDA.
This partnership aims to integrate Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries (CCI) with the country’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem. The initial phase of the platform will focus on key markets in Kano, Lagos, Aba, and Abuja, with the goal of enhancing the visibility and accessibility of traders and artisans. This aligns with NCAC’s vision of boosting productivity within the cultural and creative sectors.
The collaboration was formalized during a meeting between the Director-General of NCAC, Mr. Obi Asika, and the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja. The two leaders, along with their teams, discussed a framework aimed at driving innovation and digital transformation across Nigeria’s creative industries.
One of the main initiatives of the partnership is the expansion of NCAC’s ICE (Innovate, Create, Empower) program, which focuses on upskilling participants within the cultural and creative industries. With NITDA’s backing, ICE will be scaled to 1,000 locations nationwide, with a target of training 2 million Nigerians by 2027. NITDA will also provide training facilities and digital labs to enhance the program’s reach and effectiveness.
In addition to BuyNigeria.ng, NCAC is working with private sector partners to develop digital platforms for cultural inventory, fan engagement, influencer marketing, subscription video-on-demand (SVOD), e-commerce, and capacity building. NITDA will support these platforms through local distribution networks and cloud services to ensure their growth and accessibility.
Furthermore, NCAC has requested NITDA’s assistance in equipping its headquarters and zonal offices with digital tools, including computers, tablets, and podcast studios, to further advance the digital transformation of the cultural sector. NCAC will also encourage the creative and cultural communities to engage with NITDA’s programs, including the upcoming GITEX Nigeria 2025.
A joint committee comprising directors from both NCAC and NITDA has been established to ensure the smooth implementation of the partnership’s initiatives. Additionally, NCAC’s Nigeria’s Got Talent platform will integrate NITDA’s digital literacy programs and gamified learning systems to provide creatives with opportunities to thrive in a digital landscape.
This strategic partnership represents a significant step in merging Nigeria’s cultural heritage with innovative digital solutions, unlocking vast potential for the nation’s creative and digital economies.
