Event
Lagos Leads Charge For Nigeria’s Digital Future, Hosts ICT Commissioners, Stakeholders To Roundtable At GITEX Africa
Lagos ICT Commissioners Roundtable brings together state leaders to align digital priorities and foster Nigeria’s inclusive digital economy
Lagos State played host for the convergence of innovation and ICT leaders recently, when Commissioners for Innovation, Science and Technology and senior state delegates gathered during GITEX in Lagos for the ICT Commissioners Roundtable.
Also read: Lagos Emerges as Africa’s Tech Beacon at GITEX 2025
Conceived as a national platform to align sub-national digital priorities with federal strategy, strengthen inter-state collaboration and accelerate the drive toward a digital economy that is inclusive and locally-led, the roundtable boasts attendance from key stakeholders across states in the country.
Attendees include Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT & Cybersecurity; Hon. Olatunbosun (Tunbosun) Alake, Honourable Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Lagos State; Engr. (Mrs.) Ibilola Kasunmu, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science & Technology (MIST); Dr. (Prince) Lawrence Ezeh, Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Enugu State; and Dr. Justin Atiang Beshel, Commissioner for Science & Technology, Cross River State.
Also present were head of ICT agencies from Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Yobe, Nassarawa, Ogun, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Zamfara and Ondo States, alongside a delegate from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
The Lagos Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Hon. Olatunbosun Alake, set the tone for Lagos’s role as host, in his welcome address.
He highlighted Lagos’s sustained investment in digital infrastructure, talent development and regulatory reform, saying Lagos must lead by example so that states across the federation can adapt and scale what works.
He also outlined the state’s recent programmes and reiterated its willingness to support inter-state exchange programmes and technical partnerships.
In his closing address, Senator Shuaib advised participants to link ICT initiatives closely to each state’s broader development priorities to ensure political buy-in and sustainable funding.
He called for stronger cross-ministry collaboration, pointing out that the success of ICT initiatives is often dependent on synergy with education, health and finance ministries, and flagged that new ICT bills are being developed in the National Assembly to strengthen legal and policy frameworks for innovation and cybersecurity.
He also emphasized the need for national coherence so that state efforts can integrate seamlessly into the national digital architecture.
Also speaking at the occasion, Enugu’s Commissioner, Dr. Ezeh, updated the roundtable about Enugu’s smart-schools and smart-city ambitions and referenced the success of Enugu Tech Festival held earlier in the year as a vehicle for talent discovery and industry partnerships.
Cross River’s Dr. Justin gave an update on that state’s science & technology initiatives while reinforcing the need for linkages between state innovation programmes and private sector capacity.
Other states reported concrete steps toward operationalizing local digital strategies: Ondo State said it is developing a comprehensive ICT policy and reviewing its digital identity framework; Jigawa highlighted the establishment of the Jigawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (JISITDEA) and work to revive its Galaxy Backbone connection; Zamfara announced the launch of a state Digital Literacy Framework in July 2025; and several states referenced the creation of dedicated Information Technology Development Agencies to steward local digital programmes.
While states are clearly moving forward, the roundtable surfaced recurring obstacles. Delegates cited insufficient inter-state collaboration and limited alignment with federal priorities as barriers to scaling successful programmes.
Funding gaps, bureaucratic delays and the challenge of recruiting and retaining skilled digital talent were consistently raised. Participants agreed that formalized exchange programmes, joint projects and routine peer reviews could help close those gaps and accelerate implementation across the federation.
The roundtable also recognized the private sector and development partners as important enablers.
While international tech firms were invited to share insights, particularly around opportunities in open-source AI and developer ecosystems, the commissioners were clear the forum’s mandate is to priorities Nigerian state ownership and homegrown solutions.
By the meeting’s close, delegates agreed on immediate next steps which include the establishment of a working group to map existing state ICT assets; design a calendar of inter-state working visits and technical exchanges; and draft a memorandum of understanding template to facilitate joint projects.
The aim is to institutionalize the Commissioners Roundtable so it becomes a recurring instrument for policy alignment, shared procurement where feasible, talent exchange and coordinated infrastructure investments.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has been announced as the Keynote Speaker for the Anniversary Public Lecture of Lagos-based online newspaper, thegazellenews’.com.
The lecture is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 15 July, 2026 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Lagos, by 10:00 a.m.
The event will focus on the theme: “Driving Grassroots Governance with Public-Private Partnership: The Pains, The Challenges, The Prospects
In a statement, the management of TheGazelleNews said the annual lecture series was established to provide a platform for intellectual discourse and policy conversations on critical national issues affecting Nigeria and its people.
The organisers noted that the lecture has, over the years, attracted eminent personalities, policymakers, academics, media practitioners, captains of industry and political stakeholders from across the country.
The management described Dare as a seasoned administrator, journalist and communications strategist whose extensive experience in governance and public service positions him to lead discussions on grassroots governance and the role of public-private partnerships in national development.
“The annual lecture series was created to provide a platform for intellectual discourse and policy conversations on critical national issues affecting the country and its people,” the statement noted.
It further disclosed that invited guests and participants are expected from government institutions, media organisations, civil society groups and the private sector.
Dare, a distinguished global communications and multimedia expert, author and public speaker, brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, governance, public policy and strategic communications.
He currently serves as Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, where he plays a central role in shaping and coordinating the administration’s public communication strategy.
Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for combining journalism, public policy and stakeholder management, while championing institutional reforms, digital innovation and youth empowerment initiatives.
Before his current role, Dare served as Minister of Youth and Sports Development from 2019 to 2023, where he introduced the Nigeria Sports Industry Policy (NSIP), widely known as the “Sports as Business” model.
He also spearheaded the implementation of a 10-year Football Master Plan designed to reposition Nigerian football and launched the Adopt-an-Athlete Initiative to strengthen sports development.
Under his leadership, Nigeria recorded one of its most successful outings at major international sporting competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, securing a combined 35 medals.
He also facilitated the establishment of the N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to support youth entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Earlier, Dare served as Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) between 2016 and 2019, overseeing stakeholder engagement and supervising key departments, including Licensing and Authorisation, Legal and Enforcement, and Zonal Operations.
He also previously served as Chief of Staff and Special Adviser on Media to Tinubu, managing media relations and political communications.
In the international media arena, Dare worked with the Independent Communication Network Limited (ICNL), publishers of The News/Tempo/PM News where he rose to become the General Editor of the flagship publication of the company, The News magazine. Dare was one of the leading lights in the media war against the military junta in the days of Babangida and late Sanni Abacha and was active in the guerilla journalism of that era.
He spent nearly a decade at Voice of America, rising to become Chief of the Hausa Service. In that capacity, he directed radio programming that reached an estimated audience of 28 million listeners daily across West Africa while introducing modern information technology tools into newsroom operations.
Academically, Dare attended Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos, New York University, Harvard University and University of Oxford. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Intelligence and Global Security.
The management of TheGazelleNews expressed confidence that Dare’s experience in governance, media, public policy and strategic communications would enrich discussions at the anniversary lecture and stimulate meaningful conversations on strengthening grassroots governance through effective public-private partnerships.
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